Abandoned
by bmo-galaxy
Summary: Kagome comes back to the feudal era to find herself abandoned by her friends. Deciding to go out on her own, she soon stumbles upon the stoic Lord of the West. Upon joining his pack, she realizes that he is not as cold and heartless as he seems. ((RE-UPLOADED))
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Inuyasha and all rights are reserved by Rumiko Takahashi._

The ground was damp and soft, everything smelling of fresh moss and water soaked into soil. It had been raining for days, a near constant downpour. Today, the clouds had finally started to break apart. The leaves glittered brightly as the sun peaked out from behind cracked clouds. An orchestra of tinkles and drip-drops filled the air as the rain slid off of leaves and branches onto the forest floor. The quiet and peace pleased Sesshoumaru, who lounged comfortably on the tangled roots of a large oak tree. The soft sounds of the forest calmed the lord's frayed nerves and gave him a moment to think.

As of late, his dilemma was his half-brother's miko. The miko had always been an enigma in his eyes, defying every preconception he had about humans. From her strange way of speaking to her even stranger way of dress, she continued to surprise him at every turn and encounter. While she reeked of fear when in his presence, she repeatedly stood up to him and put herself in danger on his idiot half-brother's behalf. Her fierce sense of loyalty, even in the face of certain danger, was intriguing. And, though he would never admit it to anyone, it was commendable. Never, in the thousands of years that Sesshoumaru had roamed the lands, had he encountered a human such as her. She had invaded his mind and clung there with a vengeance. Refusing to leave, he had spent every waking hour thinking of her. Like an intricate puzzle that begged to be solved. The situation was only made worse by the fact that he hadn't seen or heard of her in months. It gave the lord a pinching migraine that was even harder to ignore than the infuriating miko. Sighing heavily, he allowed his eyes to slide closed as he attempted to enjoy the moment of peace and silence.

The peace did not last long.

Off in the distance, he could hear the tell-tale twig snapping and leaf rustling sounds of someone approaching his person. He let his eyes remain closed as he lifted his nose to the wind and took a deep breath. Tasting the particles in the air, he internally cursed himself. Thinking of the girl had brought her near him. Underneath the smells of rain and soil, he could smell the miko. What were the odds that after months of agonizing over her, she would come stumbling onto him? And what's more, if she was in the area that undoubtedly meant that the idiot hanyou was somewhere near as well. This fact irked the lord more than the girl did. He took another sniff, hoping to determine how far off they were, and was surprised to find the girl alone. Not even the small kit that she claimed as her own was with her. This intrigued the lord of the West. Curiosity got the better of him and, despite his better judgement, he remained seated. He wanted to know what the girl was doing alone and where her usual, annoying company was.

' _Once I've gotten the answers I want, I'll leave the girl just as she came."_

Somewhere deep in his mind, he had a stirring feeling that leaving the girl was easier said than actually done. Again, he heaved a deep sigh.

She was just a few yards away when the lord finally let his eyes slide open. He turned his head slightly to look at the foliage she would emerge through intensely.

As if on cue, the girl pushed through the leaves of a nearby bush with an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. Upon seeing the demon lord seated casually by a tree, with the same cold look in his eyes as always, she let a quiet gasp slip through her slightly chapped lips. The surprise though was quickly followed by curiosity and the slightest hint of irritation. This further fueled Sesshoumaru's curiosity. What had he done that caused this girl to feel annoyance toward him?

' _Besides that I have tried to kill her lover many times and even threatened to kill her.'_ The lord smirked at the memories almost fondly. A time when he could guiltlessly harm her sounded like a heaven now. His demon growled within him angrily and Sesshoumaru resisted his urge to touch the girl forcefully. First, he needed his answer.

"What are you doing travelling alone, miko?"

Kagome was surprised that he was the first to speak, even though his question irritated her. She didn't like to think about the reason she was now alone in the demon era. Huffing quietly, she shrugged off her backpack and let it thud to the ground. Rolling her shoulders in obvious relief, she less than gracefully folded in a cross-legged position a few feet from the icy lord and threw her dripping hair over her shoulder. She gathered it in small hands and rung it tightly, squeezing out as much of the water as she could.

' _I'm going to need a haircut soon,'_ she noted as she moved her hands down the long bunch of hair until she had twisted out as much of the water as she could.

Sesshoumaru was surprised by her closeness to him, and thought again about her obvious ignorance to the danger she was in. _'Maybe it's simple human stupidity,_ ' he thought, but his gut told him that such a simple answer couldn't possibly solve the puzzle. He would analyze more later, now he needed to find out what the woman was doing alone.

"Inuyasha left me." She said those words with a strange level of calmness. A calmness that he had never seen her display before. He openly stared at her as she gathered her thick hair into a bunch and wound it into a bun.

An awkward silence descended as Sesshoumaru waited for the girl to say more. As if feeling that he was expected her to continue, Kagome took a deep breath that left her as a sigh.

"I went home for a few days. I needed to get rid of my uniform and books," at this comment, the lord noticed her newer, much more practical, state of dress, "replacing them with a larger first aid kit and a few other provisions that come in handy. When I returned, I was told by Kaede that my _former_ companions had left a few days earlier. She gave no information on where they were heading or why they had left without me. She suggested that I go home and stay there, that this was out of my hands now." Kagome let out a scoff and grimaced. "I refused. This is my fault, this battle is mine, I will continue here to do my part of rid the world of Naraku. I stayed in the village for two months, training with Kaede and building my strength. Inuyasha and my friends never returned. I think to avoid Kaede, she was very angry with them for leaving me." A dark look crossed her face. "Nothing compared to my own anger."

Sesshoumaru was surprised by the look and her tone. In the time that he'd been aware of her existence, he'd never seen such a look on her face. Even when she stood toe to toe with him, this level of fury had never been reached. It was a look he didn't think she was capable of.

Kagome shrugged, the anger giving way to indifference. "Anyway, I held strong and left the village a week and a half ago." As her story ended, she abruptly realized how tired she was. Bone deep, debilitating tired; the kind that couldn't be solved by a good night's sleep. She let her head loll to the side and lay on her bag in exhaustion as she thought.

"I don't even know where I'm going, what I'm looking for, or if I'll ever see them again." She paused.

"I don't know if I care if I ever see them again." There was such venom in her usually sweet, gentle voice. The demon was again surprised. The miko had changed in many ways, it seemed. The silence hung in the air again, a little more comfortable this time. Neither party felt the need to break it as they listened to the water drops hit the ground. It wasn't until the sun was beginning its descent into the horizon that the demon lord was inclined to speak.

"You will travel with my pack for the time being." Maybe if she was with him, he could decode the strange feelings and thoughts he'd been having revolving the girl. Then, he could find a place for her, or maybe even just leave her, and live out his life in peace away from her irritating mannerisms and odd behaviors. Besides that, he was alpha. Despite his distaste for Inuyasha, any part of the hanyou's pack was an extension of his own pack. His honor dictated that he protect the girl until she could return to her proper pack.

"I'm what?" She was shocked by his words. She had been shocked when she had stumbled upon him on her lonely journey, but hearing this was the single most surprising thing she had ever heard. She never would have dreamed that the demon lord would offer her his company and protection for any amount of time. She contemplated what his ulterior motives could possibly be with this offer. After a few moments, she realized that there were none that made sense.

" _He doesn't need my jewel hunting powers; he has no use for the jewel. He is powerful enough to take Naraku down on his own and doesn't need me to track him because he can do that on his own as well. Perhaps a supervisor for Rin? No, that doesn't make sense either; she has Jaken to watch after her. What could he possibly be thinking?! Oh god, he's talking. What is he saying? God Kagome, pay attention!"_

Forcing herself to pay attention to the words of the demon of the West, she tried to understand what he wanted.

"You will accompany me for the time being. This is final," his words were cold and his eyes held no emotion. Still wondering what was in this arrangement for him, and pushing down the initial wave of irritation at being _told_ and not _asked,_ Kagome nodded slowly. She knew that arguing with the demon lord would get her nowhere. Whether she wanted to or not, Sesshoumaru was going to force her to do what he said. Defying him would only serve to irritate him and she'd rather not piss off the silver haired demon she was going to be travelling with.

"I would be honored to join you in your travels, Sesshoumaru-sama," she bowed her head toward him.

The lord of the West found that he did not like that she addressed him with such formality. He ignored this uneasy feeling and let his eyes fall shut.

"We will remain here for the night and depart tomorrow. In a short while, I will go and hunt for dinner for the both of us."

Kagome smiled at his unseeing face. He was being kind, for him. And she appreciated it greatly. After the months she had experienced, a little bit of kindness, however shown, was greatly appreciated. Kaede had been more than welcoming, and the villagers were very kind to her, but her time in the village had been very lonely. Being able to travel with Sesshoumaru would hopefully ease some of that loneliness. Even if she doubted that he would pay any more attention to her than was absolutely necessary.

Nodding her approval, even though she knew he didn't need it, she opened her pack and pulled out a couple of striking stones and a bottle of water. She also pulled out a slightly heavier coat and shrugged her shoulders into it. It was getting colder by the day and the night could be biting. She needed to gather sticks and wood for a fire. Standing, she debated whether or not to tell the lord where she was going. She always needed to tell Inuyasha where she was going when she wanted to go somewhere, something that irritated her to no end, and she wondered if his half-brother would be the same way. It couldn't hurt to tell him.

"I'll be back soon," she said quietly as she started toward the woods.

Sesshoumaru made a small noise of acknowledgment in the back of throat but stayed otherwise still and soundless. Accepting this as an okay to go ahead, Kagome continued into the forest and away from the silver lord. Being away from him gave her time with her thoughts freely as she absentmindedly picked up sticks and twigs as she went along.

He offered his company and protection when she had none, when her _friends_ had left her. The thought of them made her frown. She had made it seem as if she was angry about them leaving in front of the frigid lord. In truth, she was just upset. She hadn't seen it coming; there had been no warning of her friends abandoning her. Initially, she'd been so silent that Kaede was sure that she had gone into shock. The silence passed quickly though, and in its wake was fury. Burning, painful fury that smoldered in her chest, even now.

She tried to shake the thoughts away; they only served to make her angry and emotional. Both those things would only make her vulnerable right now. While the demon lord had offered her company and protection, she didn't know how far that went. She doubted he would go out of his way to protect her tonight. Sighing, she realized she had plenty of wood and the terrain was starting to look unfamiliar. Turning, she started back toward the camp when energy sizzled lightly over her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

Kagome tensed and focused hard in an attempt to catch any sign of something near. A demon was coming toward her and as soon as she realized it, she took off in a full sprint away from where she was standing. It was instantly in pursuit, right behind her in a few moments. The waves of its youkai washed over her, sending her miko powers into a frenzy. The dark haired teen could feel the power of her reiki burning in the tips of her fingers and the center of her palms. She clenched her small hands into fists and pushed to keep running. Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's energy in the distance and pushed her aching legs as hard as they would go, desperation and adrenaline giving her an explosive burst of energy. While she wasn't sure that he would necessarily protect her, at the very least her bow was with her backpack. She was nearly there and relief spread through her when she burst into the camp.

Dread soon replaced relief. She skidded to a clumsy halt, head whipping around to search their small camp.

Sesshoumaru was gone; she assumed he had gone to hunt while she had been looking for wood. Fear and anxiety filled her; it flooded her chest and clouded her mind. She could feel the demon getting closer, a few yards away and radiating power. Dragging in a deep, steadying breath, she forced herself to focus. Turning, she looked around the camp and dove for her bag the minute she spotted it. Sesshoumaru had moved it off the damp ground and nestled it along the roots he'd been sitting on. She scrambled for a hold of her bow and quiver, ripping them from where they were tied. She'd barely touched the feathers of her first arrow when white hot pain sliced through her upper back across her shoulder blades. She heard the sickening scrape of claw on bone as the tips made contact with her shoulder blades. She couldn't hold back the yelp of pain as she ducked low and turned quickly. Knocking an arrow with trembling fingers, she forced her reiki through the grain of the wood and felt it pool in the metal tip. It glowed a dull hue of pink for a moment before it disappeared and was ready to be fired.

The demon chuckled at her resilience. _'She is a funny little human,'_ he thought as he moved toward her. He was ugly; large and broad and covered in large, pus filled warts. Some popped and oozed when he moved to circle her predatorily. Kagome held her breath and never let her eyes leave the hideous beast. Maybe if she could stall, Sesshoumaru would return-

' _No!'_ she thought fiercely with a brief shake of her head. She needed to be able to fight on her own. Raising her bow without a word, she waited until the demon was chuckling again, mouth opened to taunt her, before she let the arrow fly with deadly accuracy. She'd worked tirelessly with Kaede, for hours at a time, perfecting her shooting. Now, that work was paying off.

The horrid demon, caught off guard, only just barely dodged the arrow aimed at his chest. It tore mercilessly through the flesh of his upper arm. Pus and blood sprayed across the ground and the demon howled in rage and pain. Eyes bled a deathly red, burning with feral rage. Kagome didn't have enough time to knock another arrow before she was thrown into a nearby tree. Her wounded back burned as it scraped against the bark on the way down to the ground. With a thud and a groan, Kagome tried to blink the black from the edges of her vision.

' _Get up and move!'_ she ordered herself as she struggled to get to her feet and listened to the demon cackle at her efforts. Her legs shook under her weight and the world tilted around her.

"It is over, girl," it hissed, a promise in its voice as it crouched and leapt.

Kagome held her breath and closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. Her aura surrounded her in a barrier and held strong as the demon slashed at it the first few times. In the collision with the tree, her bow had fallen out of her reach. She looked around her body and found a stone. It was rough and jagged, a little bigger than her fist. Knowing that this was her best option, she grabbed it and forced her reiki into it and after a moment to breath, prepared to drop her barrier. Before she had the chance though, a powerful aura ran through the clearing, sweeping over her in hot waves, and the demon paused for a moment of disbelief.

Sesshoumaru could sense the fight moments after it began. At first, he was sure that the miko could handle the fight on her own without his aid. However, upon smelling her blood, he felt his stomach knot in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable way. Seeking to ease this discomfort, he sped toward the camp. The faint smell of salamander demon hung in the air and the lord sped up. They were notorious playing with their food before they ate it.

Breaking into the clearing, Sesshoumaru assessed the situation in a split second. The smell of the miko's blood was thick and heavy in the air, tinged with the smell of poison. Acid whip immediately out, he sliced through the demon's body effortlessly. It disintegrated in minutes, scream echoing through the trees as it went. Only the lord and the miko were left in the quiet clearing.

He looked at the miko, breathing hard against a tree. The smell of her blood swirled heavily in the air and made his stomach twist. He wondered how long this battle had taken, he had not been gone long and it had taken him less than a minute to return. Shaking his head, he walked over to her and stared at her coolly. Her barrier held strong around her and stopped him from getting any nearer than a few feet from her. He touched it lightly with his fingertip and hissed between his teeth when it burned him. She didn't look at him, just stared into nothing and tried to slow her breathing. He could sense that her powers were still strong and swimming in the air. Irritated by this, he called out her name sharply.

She jumped at the sound of her name and looked at him with wide eyes, glazed over and disoriented, as she dropped the barrier and released the stone. He hadn't noticed it until it rolled lazily from her fierce grip. She had scrapes along her palm that produced little beads of blood that dripped slowly down her fingertips. He could still sense her powers singing within the rock and avoided touching it as he looked at her again.

"What happened, miko? What injuries do you sustain?" His voice was cold. She felt unwanted tears welling in her eyes and dripping down her dirty face. Sesshoumaru was unnerved by the tears and scowled.

"Answer me, miko."

Kagome swallowed loudly and slowly wiped the tears away before taking a shaky breath. She cursed herself for these tears, even as more burned behind her eyes. She clenched them tightly, feeling her heart hammer against her breastbone painfully hard.

"I went farther than I thought I did, When I turned around, I felt a demon energy wash over me, I did the first thing I could and I ran. I ran as fast as I could, I… I thought if I made it here I'd be safe," she paused and lowered her head. _'You're here, so I thought….'_ She shook the thought away and continued, "But when I got here, you were gone and I did what I could. Before I could get my bow though, he sliced up my back. Once I got my bow, I shot an arrow and took off his arm. He got angry, red eye demon angry, and threw me into a tree. I made a barrier and was about to throw a reiki infused stone when…" she paused and looked at him with wide blue eyes filled with mesmerized look in her eyes, "You saved me." Her voice was small and warm. It soothed some of the tightness in his stomach and he felt the rare urge to smile.

"I claimed you as part of my pack when I agreed for you to join me. I am obligated to protect you," his voice was flat and matter-of-fact. Yet that _smile_. It was bright and warm and it enveloped him. He was drowning in her smile and her eyes. He needed this to stop.

Stepping away from the miko, he glanced at the blood that had seeped through her clothing and into the tree. He frowned and without warning, picked her up. Almost as soon as she was up and had gasped at the sudden closeness, she was back down. He had laid her gently on her stomach, wanting to look at the injury on her back.

It was not a pretty sight.

Covered in rough tree back and dark mud, the angry slashes were hued with light yellow. _'Poison.'_ The three slashes all dripped blood slowly down the miko's sides, the middle one being the deepest. He could see the claw marks on the white of her bone.

He growled low in his throat and put his fingertips lightly against the wounds. Despite the gesture being soft, the sharp tips of his claws hurt. Kagome bit down hard on her bottom lip, refusing to cry out in pain. She was sure that would only serve to irritate the cold demon. The action did not go unnoticed by said lord and cold eyes appraised the girl quickly before concentrating back on his task. He let his own poison slip into the girl's body and felt her immediately go rigid and a small moan slipped through her lips. The noise was cut off by the small fist that she shoved in her mouth.

Taking no heed in her pain, he waited until the yellow hue disappeared. The poisons had neutralized each other and now her miko powers would have a chance to start working. Anything left in her body now would simply be purified.

Sitting back, the silver demon watched as her powers immediately went to work at the slow, but efficient task of knotting and sewing her skin back together. While it was faster than most humans, it was so slow compared to a demon's healing abilities. He was fascinated though as her muscles where knitted slowly back together and her skin lost its angry red tint.

The taiyoukai watched in strange curiosity as the girl made no effort to move, she just lay quietly on the ground with her head facing the opposite direction of his. She made no noise except for the soft sounds of her taking in deep, measured breathes. He didn't like this, he wanted to see the emotions jump through her eyes and play over her face. He tried desperately to fight back the urge to talk to her.

And lost.

"Miko," his voice was void of cold and emptiness. He sounded exhausted, exasperated. Kagome, with some effort, rolled her head to the side and stared at the demon. Her face was pinched in a frown, tears sitting stubbornly in the corners of her eyes.

He frowned in displeasure. A part of him didn't want to see the miko in pain, while he knew that he should not care if the miko was hurting. This girl would be his undoing.

"What do you require, miko?"

Kagome tried to think of a way to explain what she needed. Really, she needed a lot of things. Right now though, she needed him to clean and wrap her wounds. Clenching her teeth, she swallowed once before speaking.

"In my bag, there are a few shirts on top of a white box. Bring me the white box. Also, there is a bottle of water, bring that too." She stopped at that, sucking in a deep breath before hissing through her clenched teeth. Pain radiated through her sides and up her neck; she could feel a headache taking root.

While Sesshoumaru didn't like being told what to do in such a rude way, he did as requested and fished out the water and strange box she had requested. Taking them to her, he waited until she told him what to do next.

Step by step, Kagome explained how the treatments in the first aid box worked. Slowly, but surely, her back was cleansed and the wounds properly bandaged. She also took two pain killers to help reduce the pain and treat some of the inflammation. Once done with the bandaging, she sat up slowly and then stood. Retrieving her weapon and quiver, she threw them on her bag and pulled out some pajamas. It was slow going, each movement slow and steady. Moving behind some bushes, she changed quickly and grabbed a few sticks as well. She had dropped all her wood and kindling running from the demon and the chill had set in.

Returning to her companion, she used her striking stone to start a small fire and huddled close to it. Almost close enough to burn her.

Sesshoumaru watched all this silently. He was impressed that she had fought the demon as she had and been able to hold a barrier against his pure demonic strength. It impressed him even more that she had started a fire on her own. She continued to surprise him.

' _Maybe that is why she continued to plague my thoughts. I am simply curious of how many more ways she can surprise me.'_ Accepting this answer, he continued to stare at the girl.

As if feeling his eyes on her, she lifted her head slowly and stared back at him. Her face was once again pinched in concentration and after a moment, she turned and pulled a thick blanket from the bottom of her backpack.

Wrapping the blanket around her body, she huddled under it, shifting now and then, until she was settled. With a deep sigh she leaned back against her backpack. She pulled a hiss through her teeth when her back protested the action. Sleeping would be very difficult tonight. Sighing under her breath, she finally let her thoughts shift to her present situation as a whole. She was travelling with the feared lord of the West and her friends were nowhere to be seen. She frowned at a sudden thought, would the demon lord stay with her even now that she was injured?

Said lord could smell her emotions shift through her. It still stunned him at how fast humans could go through emotions so quickly without confusing themselves. He half paid attention to her scent as she thought until a smell of panic and anxiety settled over her, with an undertone of concern. Confused about what had brought on this strange cocktail of emotions, he looked sideways at the girl without turning his head. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her wide blue eyes at him and he almost winced. They were brimmed with panic.

"You… Am I still allowed to travel with you despite my injury?" Her voice was steady, but small. The slightest waver giving away the depth of her anxiety. She knew that the lord detested weakness and would refuse to let anything slow down his pursuit of Naraku. She doubted that he would accept having to slow his pace to accommodate her. She held her breath as she waited for her answer.

Sesshoumaru was shocked by her question, even though he would not let her see that. Did she really know nothing of Inu pack dynamics? Had Inuyasha drilled it into her that no weakness would be accepted and that he would abandon her at the first sign of it? He bit back a sigh at his half-brother's stupidity and decided that now was as good a time as any to explain them to her.

"As I said before, I have accepted you into my pack. That means I am obligated to protect you, provide food for you, and produce adequate shelter for you. Your injury does not change your status in my pack. They only way to be… discharged, I suppose you could say, from a pack is to perform an act of treason. You being injured is not an act of treason, thus you are still a part of my pack," he said, his voice bored and flat as he continued to only look at her out of the corner of his eye. He watched as the girl digested this new information. He watched as understanding slowly replaced panic and the sharp smell left her usually calming scent.

' _When did I deem her scent as calming? Damn this human, she is changing me in ways I do not even notice.'_ Suddenly, Sesshoumaru started to second think accepting her into his pack. He sighed and stopped looking at the girl.

"Sleep miko, we will rise early tomorrow and I do not wish to have to wait for you to awake."

The miko nodded through a quiet yawn and sunk further into her seated position until she was nearly lying down. The events of the day had drained all her energy and sleep seemed like a haven. It took less than five minutes for her breathing to slow and her body to go limp. She shifted slightly before settling with a quite sigh. The demon lord looked at her full on now, his eyes running over her small body as she slept soundly. She had lost all the baby fat that she had carried previously, her body now more toned and lithe. These new clothes suited her far more, in the taiyoukai's opinion. They didn't make her look like a common brothel girl. Had she still been wearing them now, he would have forced her out of them and into more practical clothing. His eyes travelled to her slumbering face. It was more peaceful in sleep, losing the creases and frowns of the real world. He much preferred this to the tight look of pain in her eyes.

' _Why does I care if this human girl is in pain? I should not; her feelings should not matter,'_ he thought firmly, chastising himself for letting the girl take root so deeply in his brain. Yet, despite his distaste for humans, and his hatred for his brother and all his company, he had accepted this human girl into his direct pack and promised her protection. Despite all those other things, he found himself enjoying having the miko near him, a fact that perplexed him to no end. Why would he want the miko near him? Why would he _enjoy_ the miko near him? He shook his head to shake the thoughts away and just looked at the girl.

Suddenly, her face contorted in pain and here breathing increased. First, it was fast, and then it cascaded into wild gasps for air. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and travelled in slow trails down her face.

' _She's having a night terror,'_ the youkai realized. Rin behaved this same way when she experienced them in the night. It made him uneasy and he found himself wanting to comfort her so that the acrid smell of terror and pain in her scent would ease away. Reaching out a single arm slowly, he carefully maneuvered her small body so that her head was resting on his knee and she was lying on her side. Perhaps the pain came from pressure on her injury.

Moments later, the pain was wiped from her face and peace returned to her smell as she nudged closer to the demon and took a deep breath. Almost smiling, the lord sighed and let his head rest back on the tree. He should probably get some rest too; caring for this woman was going to be a challenge.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun broke through the early morning clouds and the forest was bright with the sparkle of water on leaves. Rain and dew drops were like glitter thrown on everything as they shone brightly in the sunlight. Rays broke through the thick canopy of leaves and branches to beam down on the miko's tired face. Grimacing against the light, she rolled over onto her back in an effort to escape the harsh beams. Pain shot through her entire upper body, her arms aching from her shoulders to the tips of her fingers. Desperate to escape the pain, she sat up in one jerky moment and looked around the camp.

Sesshoumaru was seated not far from her, his eyes closed and his legs crossed. He looked peaceful, almost like he was sleeping. Kagome found herself mesmerized as she stared at the strong curve of his jaw. His high cheek bones that were adorn with sleek magenta strips, two on each cheek. His mouth was relaxed and lips perfect. Kagome found herself drawn to him, spellbound by his ethereal beauty, and before she could stop herself, she was walking toward him. She saw him tense as she approached, but relaxed after a moment. It was obvious that she wasn't a real threat with her injuries. Once she was within a few inches of him, she raised a hand and touched it to his cheek with the very tips of her fingers. She knew that she should be afraid of him. She knew that her instincts should be screaming at her to step away. There was no fear though. If anything, being near the demon lord calmed her down.

Sharp pain seized her wrist when she looked down and saw Sesshoumaru's hand holding it tightly. Not tightly enough to break it, but she knew that he could at any moment if he so wished. Eyes slowly opening, he stared at her with a bored, cold expression.

"Why are you touching me?"

"I-I…" Kagome sputtered, unable to find an excuse as to why she had felt the insane urge to touch him. She knew that it had something to do with the fact that he felt otherworldly. She felt the urge to touch him to prove that he was real. Kagome knew, though, that explanation wouldn't solve anything. So instead, she just pulled her hand back carefully, glad when the taiyoukai let it slide easily from his hand. She shivered at the feeling of his claws dragging along her skin. Silence reigned over the two as they just stared at one another. Slowly, Sesshoumaru rose from his seat and towered over her menacingly.

"Now that you are awake, we will depart. I must find my other companions," his tone left no room for argument as he breezed past her and walked toward the woods.

Kagome stood dead still, like a deer that knew a hunter was nearby, and tried to control her breathing. Slowly, she turned. Almost robotically, she got her bag ready with her bow and quiver once again attached to it. She pulled out a pair of pants and quickly yanked off her pajamas and pull on the dark blue jeans. Slipping her shoes back on, she checked that she had put the first aid and water back in her back before zipping it up. She made the move to throw the pack onto her back. She got as far as lifting the bag off the ground before a searing pain seized her. She could feel the wounds start to re-open and her blood seep through the wrappings and into her tee shirt. With a loud grunt, she dropped the bag and took a few deep breathes to ease the pain.

After a moment of breathing and forcing herself to relax, she shook her head decisively. Determination set on her face, she reached down to grab her bag. A clawed hand grabbed it before she could.

"I will carry this until we find Ah-Un, I do not wish to listen to you whimper." He didn't hide his intense irritation well. Without another glance at her, he turned and walked gracefully from the camp. Grateful not to have the heavy bag anymore, but annoyed at his condescending tone, she jogged slowly to catch up. Falling in step with him, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her frayed nerves. Internally, she cursed herself for showing that weakness. The miko vowed that only for today would she let him carry her bag.

They walked for several hours in complete silence, Kagome tiring quickly as they went. They had to stop around midday so that she could regain her strength to continue going. From what Sesshoumaru had told her, they were looking for Rin and Jaken. The girl was excited to see the child that Sesshoumaru had claimed as his own.

Taking a long gulp of water, Kagome turned to look at the stoic lord. He was standing a few yards from her, amber eyes scanning the horizon.

"How far off are Jaken and Rin?" her voice was tired, and under it he could hear the pain her back was causing her. He turned to stare at her blankly and lifted his nose to the wind. Taking in a deep sniff, he sighed out the breath and looked to the West.

"We will meet them here; I will call for Ah-Un. Then, we shall return to my strong hold for now. The half-breed is plotting something and I feel it is in the pack's best interest that we return there before resuming our hunt," he explained as he released his youki in request for Ah-Un to come to him. He looked back at Kagome's face and was taken aback by the look of pure relief and gratitude there. Her face was bright with a smile and her eyes sparkled.

"Thank you! I had no idea you have a stronghold. Is it big? Like a castle?" She was happy and excited to not have to walk anymore, and the idea of a building that could possibly have a bath tub made her mood soar. Sesshoumaru could feel the sweet relief in her aura and made a small noise in the back of his throat before he could stop it. He made his way to a nearby tree, sinking gracefully to sit against it. Ah-Un was a few miles away and it would be a little while before he met with them.

"It is much like a castle, and very large. It's where I live when I am not hunting the hanyou. Many of my soldiers live there as well. It is in the middle of a small youkai settlement. The capitol of the western territory," he explained quietly. He didn't know what compelled him to answer her questions, or why he went in depth with his explanation. Something about the brightness of her smile, the calming wave of her scent free from pain. He ignored it and waited for the questions he knew were to come.

"What kinds of youkai live there?"

"The remaining Inu, some wolves that don't belong to Kouga's tribe, and some cat youkai all reside there. Others are permitted, but those are the most prominent species in the West. There is a small kappa settlement on the far edge of the territory, remnants of Jaken's tribe. My troops are made of a vast array of different races."

Kagome nodded thoughtfully and tried to imagine it. It's just like a human village in her mind, people living their quiet lives. She shrugged carefully, excited to see it with her own eyes, and rose to her feet. Walking over to him, she sunk down into a sitting position and leaned against the tree carefully. The walking had made her tired and her eye lids drooped as she basked in the warmth of the sun. The youkai glanced at her and decided to allow her to sleep, at least until his two headed dragon and other company arrived. It shouldn't take long now.

…..

Inuyasha grumbled angrily under his breath from his perch on a tree branch. He was a few yards from camp, watching his companions set up for the night. He hated having to stop each day. It left his mind to wander and think about Kagome, which is exactly what he didn't want to do.

He had convinced Sango and Miroku to come with him and leave her behind for her own good. At first, they had adamantly refused to leave their friend. However, the more they thought about it, the more sense it made for her to stop the fighting. She was not raised here and this was not her time, she should not be forced to continue to give up her life for them. And, though none of them except Inuyasha would say it out loud, Kagome was weaker than them. She hadn't been raised in a time of struggle and danger, a time when you're lucky just to survive another day. So, they had left Kaede's village to seek out Kikyou's help. After all, they still needed to find the jewel shards.

The travelling had taken a one-eighty since Kagome had been replaced by the clay priestess. It was quiet and awkward, not even Shippou's chatter able to fill the void that Kagome had left. The nights were the worst. They all knew that the clay woman didn't sleep and in the night, even in their dreams, they could feel her lifeless eyes judging them endlessly. They awoke every morning under rested and cranky, making the travelling strained. Still, Inuyasha was sure that he did the right thing leaving Kagome behind. The fighting had become too dangerous for her. She just needed to go to her time and forget all about them; live a normal, happy life with her family. It had been Kikyou's idea not to return to the village. She had stated that it was a waste of time and would only serve to distract Inuyasha from hunting Naraku.

Still, even he had to admit he missed Kagome's bright smile and happy chatting during their walking. Sighing, he let his ears droop and his eyes close.

Sango heard him sigh and glared back in his direction. Even though she had followed Inuyasha, she wasn't happy about leaving Kagome. She was actually starting to regret it. She missed having a girl to talk to. Someone to take baths with. It was selfish though, to put the girl in danger just so the demon slayer could have some company. Shaking her head, she rolled over away from the group and tried to sleep.

Miroku glanced over to the woman he loved with a frown. He knew how much she missed her best friend and it hurt him to watch her suffer. He knew it was for the best though. Holding his staff close to his body, he let his eyes fall shut and leaned back against the tree he was against and tried to fall asleep.

The only one left awake was Kikyou. She watched the small fire dance for a time before she closed her cold eyes and rose slowly. Soul collectors surrounded her immediately, one dropping a small white soul into her chest. Breathing it in, she felt strength flow through her. Turning toward the woods, she walked gracefully toward the tree line with frozen grace. Inuyasha watched her go and decided to let her, he knew that fighting with her was no use and that she would just go. He sighed, more tired in that moment than he had ever been.

…

Kagome could sense it before Sesshoumaru could. She had awoken from her nap as the sun was beginning to set. While she had been asleep, Rin and Jaken had found their way to the group. With it getting late, Sesshoumaru had decided that they would stay the night there and head to the castle in the morning. He said they should arrive in a half days' time. Kagome was glad to hear that it was so close. She wasn't sure how much travelling she was actually up for.

She spent most of the evening picking flowers with Rin. Her back was healing at a steady, quick pace. Her miko powers were well at work knitting her body back together. She guessed that by tomorrow, or the day after, she would be able to carry her bag again without too much pain.

Sesshoumaru had enjoyed watching them play; he had always wanted a female influence in Rin's life. He would not have her growing up into a little barbarian. However, with the way that she was progressing it seemed like that might be what would happen.

' _Perhaps having the miko here is not such a bad thing,'_ he mused as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

Now, Kagome could feel the pull in her chest. It pressed against her breastbone, warm like an ember. The other half of her soul called to her in the woods across the field. When she stood slowly, Rin stared at her concern.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Her voice was high with concern and worry. Kagome turned toward her young friend. She smiled shakily. Kneeling down, she whispered to Rin.

"Go and stay with Sesshoumaru, Rin. I need to go and take care of something." In all honesty, Kagome was nervous about why Kikyou would be here. She had a feeling it couldn't mean anything good. Her eyes, which had been bright and happy a moment ago, were narrowed in suspicion.

Sesshoumaru heard this and looked at the girl curiously. Her scent had spiked in anxiety and anger, but was accompanied by a strange overtone of sorrow. What had caused this sudden change in her mood? He was about to ask when he watched her start walking away from Rin and toward the forest. He watched closely as Rin stood and ran toward him. She looked worried when she approached him.

"Kagome-sama said that she needed to go and take care of something. She told Rin to come and stay with you."

In the distance, he could smell the clay wench that his brother loved moving about the forest with her foul soul collectors trailing along with her. She had stopped for a moment and the lord could see her dead eyes peering through the leaves at him. He glared at her, eyes narrowed. Her arrogant smirk irritated him to now end. He looked away to watch Kagome enter the forest.

"Jaken, watch Rin. If she is hurt, you are responsible." The obvious threat was strong in his voice as he masked his aura and rose to his feet. "Rin, stay with Jaken and keep quiet."

Rin only nodded and watched in concern as her lord followed after Kagome toward the forest.

Kagome didn't know what Kikyou wanted with her, but knew that it was important if she was calling to her. Besides, the tug of her half of the soul in her chest made her midsection ache. It was better to just face Kikyou with her head held high. Stepping into the cool shade of forest, Kagome only had to take a few more steps until she was face to face with her former life.

Kikyou appraised her reincarnation with cold eyes. Her smile was void of any affection.

"I see that you have betrayed Inuyasha in favor of his brother." Her voice was sickly sweet and made Kagome's insides tumble. A scowl took the place of her dazed expression and Kagome tried to hold back the raw power buzzing in her fingertips, begging her to hurt the clay devil. She clenched her hands tight and offered a similar smile.

"Better than betraying him for Naraku," she said innocently, watching the smile fade and fury take its place on the cold woman's face.

"You're betraying everything a miko is, allying yourself with a filthy demon," Kikyou spat.

"You betrayed everyone that loved you when you allied yourself with our half demon enemy." Kagome threw right back, infuriating Kikyou further. Kagome, sensing that she had won this little word squabble, felt abruptly tired and her aura showed it.

"What do you want from me, Kikyou? The rest of my soul, Inuyasha's love? I can't give you the first and you already have the second. You know as well as I that my love for Inuyasha is purely platonic. Our connection told you that," she put a hand over her chest where her heart ached sharply, "So, what could you possibly want from me?"

Kikyou was taken aback that the girl had admitted she had stopped loving Inuyasha. It caught her off guard and suddenly, the clay priestess didn't know what she wanted from the girl. Taking a step back and attempting to regain her former fury, Kikyou scowled.

"I simply wanted to see if it was true, that you had truly sided with the youkai beast."

Kagome just sighed and turned around, exhausted by Kikyou's presence. Her soul yearned to be whole again and pulled against the cage of her body toward Kikyou She could imagine Kikyou's half did the same thing. Though the dead priestess may try to hide it, Kagome could see her hands trembling.

"Goodbye, Kikyou. Return to Inuyasha."

From his perch in the tree, Sesshoumaru watched this transaction with little interest. It wasn't until he felt his idiot half-brother's aura coming toward the little group that he tensed. A growl bubbled in his chest that he barely suppressed as he dropped to the ground beside Kagome silently.

"The half breed approaches with haste. I imagine that he caught your scent. If you do not wish to see him, I suggest we leave," he said stoically, ignoring the look of shock on her pale, moon lit face. She took in the information and tried to process it quickly. As much as she wanted to see her friends, the idea of just suddenly seeing Inuyasha, while she was with Sesshoumaru and Kikyou set her nerves on edge. Her heart thundered in her chest, pounding in her ears and making it hard to think. She knew though that she couldn't run from this and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I'll stay; I need to face him eventually. I need answers," she turned and looked at Sesshoumaru carefully, "You don't have to stay; you can go back to camp if you want."

"I am well aware that I may leave whenever I see fit." Kagome just nodded, her voice lost when she heard the hanyou getting closer and closer to them.

Leaping into the space beside Kikyou, Inuyasha was almost floored by what he saw. The woman that he loved, who had stayed by his side this whole time, was standing next to his brother. He had smelt Kagome's scent first; the minute he identified it, he'd taken off running without a second thought. It wasn't until he'd gotten closer that he realized Sesshoumaru was with them as well. Images of Sesshoumaru kidnapping Kagome to use against him to get tenseiga nearly threw him into a frenzy. Now here he stood, staring at Kagome and her place next to his brother. The shock of Kagome willingly standing next to him was too much for his brain to function. Especially considering Kagome shouldn't have even been in this era!

"What the fuck, Kagome?" he shouted indignantly, "What are you doing with that asshole? Why are you injuyed? What are you doing here at all, we left you at the village. You were supposed to go home!"

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was actually _angry_ at her. He had the _audacity_ to stand there and interrogate her about _her_ actions? As far as she was concerned, she was the only one with the right to be angry. Her spiritual powers spiked dangerously as her angry grew. Her eyes burned bright with power as she took a threatening step toward Inuyasha.

"You abandoned me. You left me to fend for myself. I was injured because I was forced to travel alone! And your 'asshole' brother was good enough to save me, unlike you. You think I can just let this go as if it isn't my fight? Like I could just go back home and forget it ever happened? Do you really think that I could do that?!" Her voice got louder and louder as she spoke, ending in a threatening screech that pierced both brother's sensitive ears. Inuyasha's ear flattened against his head. What she put it that way… It made him sound like an ass.

"I-I, we did it to protect you," he offered weakly. He took a single step back toward Kikyou's side. She offered him no support. She simply stood impassively by and watched as the half demon handled the clearly upset miko.

"Leaving me to do this on my own was protecting me?!" her voice rose the highest it could, cracking at the end. Sensing that her powers were getting out of hand- they sparked at her fingertips, Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat as warning for her. It wasn't threatening, it was rather gentle. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the tone. Kagome glanced back at him, seeing him level her with a stern stare, and took a deep breath. Inuyasha glared at his brother for another moment, but was distracted again when Kagome approached him. With his ears flattened again, he looked scared. As if she was going to hit him. She frowned and reached toward him. He flinched, closing his eyes tightly.

Grabbing the beads around his neck, she pulled them sharply until they snapped and the beads rained all over the damp ground. In that moment, the entire forest was dead still and painfully silence. Inuyasha couldn't breathe, his entire chest contracting and pushing a lump into his throat. Wide golden eyes stared at Kagome's hurt expression before glancing down at the dark beads that now littered the ground around his feet.

"K-Kagome-," Inuyasha started, his voice broken and soft.

"Don't, Inuyasha. I don't want to hear it. I have chosen to join Lord Sesshoumaru and you aren't going to force me back. Tell Miroku and Sango hello for me, along with Shippou and Kilala. I would love to see them but as of right now… I can't travel with you." Kagome's voice cracked. She had to swallow several times before continuing. "Maybe, in the future, I could. Not now though." Her voice hitched. She took several shaky breaths, blinking away the tears gather in her eyes. "So, leave. We are both after Naraku, I'm sure our paths will cross soon enough…"

Her heart was breaking. She was leaving her friends, her family. She knew that it was the right thing to do. They had hurt her and she needed some time away, as hard as it was. Steeling her nerves, she blinked away the tears in her eyes without allowing them to fall. If she was going to do this, she would do it with her head held high and her shoulders squared. Turning back to the demon lord, she nodded her head and slowly started toward their camp. Sesshoumaru cast one, almost smug, glance at Inuyasha before following after her.

Inuyasha was at a loss for words. He'd heard what she said, but none of it made sense. He'd been wrong. He shouldn't have left her, because now he had lost her. Lost her to his damn half-brother. Pain seized his heart with an iron grip and made it hard for him to breath. Swallowing hard, he turned to Kikyou who was giving him an expectant look. Nodding numbly, he looked once more at Kagome's retreating figure and sighed. She was gone. The only reminder of her was the beads scattered on the leafy forest floor. Part of him truly wanted to bend down and retrieve them all. He fought the urge and followed Kikyou back to camp. His ears laid flat against his head as he felt the look on Kagome's face haunt him and the betrayal in her eyes sending pangs of guilt through his stomach. Another long sigh slipped from his lips when he saw Inuyasha leave.

"Is everything alright, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked solemnly as he let his eyes slide closed once more. Inuyasha debated internally about what he was going to tell them.

"Nothing, Kikyou just needed to talk about something," he offered lamely as he jumped into a nearby tree and avoided eye contact with the monk. They would just make a fuss if they knew that he had talked to Kagome, and even worse if they knew how upset Kagome was. They would want to go after her and that would take time out of finding the jewel. Nodding to himself, he tried to ignore the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Already, he missed the warmth of his best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome found that it was disturbingly easy not to be upset over Inuyasha. Putting a lid on the turbulent emotions had been surprisingly easy. Normally, she would be fuming and sobbing over the fact that he had left her and added Kikyou to their— _'His,'_ she reminded herself — group in her wake. She had never considered that he would seek out Kikyou after he left her. Now, after seeing them standing together, it made perfect sense that he did that. Inuyasha was always going to chase her. Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the thoughts and appear happy as Rin approached with a flower crown in her hand.

Wordlessly, the little girl handed the miko the crown shyly before trotting back to the small fire that Jaken had made. The sun had completely set while Kagome had been gone and the night chill was setting in with a fury. Shaking under her light clothing, she considered putting more on.

' _Change my bandages first, and then put warmer clothes on,'_ she decided with a small nod to herself. Looking to where Sesshoumaru had sat, she waited until he felt her eyes on her for her to speak.

"Will you… help me change my bandaging?" she asked, suddenly feeling shy under the scrutiny of the demon lord's eyes. The interaction with Inuyasha and Kikyou left her feeling raw and exposed, as if he could see right through her. Taking the slight movement of his head as a yes, she walked over to her bag and dug out the first aid stuff, a small washcloth, and a half full bottle of water. Then, she stripped out of her shirt and blushed wildly as she sat in front of the icy demon, with her knees to her chest to hide her breasts from the toad demon sitting across the fire from her.

The washcloth stung for a moment before she relaxed under the demon lord's careful touch. In a matter of minutes, she was fully bandaged again and pulled her shirt and a sweatshirt over her head. Pulling the hood over her long black hair, she sat next to the fire and watched the flames dance quietly. This camp was so different from her own, not full of the noises of merriment and family; rather it was filled with silence and Rin's occasional chattering. This sudden change in atmosphere is what made her most uncomfortable and sent an ache of loneliness through her chest. Suddenly, she desperately missed the little fox kit that she had claimed as her own. She wonder idly how he was handling being in the group with Kikyou. Another pang, closer to her heart, brought small tears to the corners of her eyes. Bringing her knees to her chest, she hugged them tightly and put her face into them as she tried not to cry. The dam was cracking now; she could feel the wave of emotions threatening to drown her. She should have known that she couldn't ignore them for long. Once again, she cursed this weakness.

The demon lord could smell the salt wafting through the air and turned his amber eyes to the small miko. He hated it when humans cried. It was them shoving their weakness in his face and he found it disgusting. Strangely enough though, he found that this miko's tears bothered him in a whole other way. His youkai twitched and squirmed uncomfortably, demanding that he ease her pain. Clamping down hard control on the annoying beast, he growled low in his throat to get the girl's attention. When she looked up and her watery blue eyes clashed with his deep golden ones, her breath hitched. She was sent into a whole new round of tears as she once again buried her face in her knees. He should have expected this from her. He had known that her anger was false the night that she had explained her situation to him. These tears were inevitable.

' _His eyes,'_ she moaned in her head painfully. They reminded her so much of her half demon friend's. While yes, she had been telling the truth when she told Kikyou that she no longer loved Inuyasha, the attachment was still there. And upon seeing him replace her with Kikyou, the old wound had opened tenfold. This was the moment when she really needed to let him go and finally admit to herself that she wasn't in love with him. And, in the back of her head, she had to accept that he wasn't in love with her either.

She cried for another hour. Rin had attempted several times to cheer her up, only to have her Lord shake his head each time. After the fourth attempt, she had given up and simply patted Kagome's bowed head before she curled up near Ah-Un and fell into a deep slumber. Jaken fell asleep soon after Rin did, leaving only the demon lord and the miko still awake.

Raising her head, she stared into the fire with a tear streaked face and irritated red eyes. Rubbing them with a wet cough, she took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. She continued to take deep, even breaths. With the last one, she let go of Inuyasha and the pain. The crying, which she had done over him so many times, felt different this time. It felt cleansing. It felt like the last time. She felt lighter, calmer. The constant ball of stress in her stomach that had been there for years finally loosen and disappear. She closed her eyes one more time and took one more breath before she looked at Sesshoumaru with dry eyes and an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry about all that. I was more upset about it than I thought," she said with a nervous chuckle. The demon lord merely stared at her, feeling no need to offer her a response. She had expected this and sighed as she put her hands over the fire to try to warm them.

"Tell me about your stronghold." she said offhandedly. He could hear the sleep creeping into her voice. She tried to muffle a yawn behind her hand. He nodded as an answer to her request. While she walked over to her bag to get her sleeping things, he started.

"It is a place called Nishi. It is the capital of the west, you could say. My castle, as you called it, stands in the middle of it. The entire village is run by demons. The entire village is, for the most part, self-sustaining. They do everything from farming to blacksmithing to textiles. Rin and Jaken have been there many times. My army is stationed there as well," he explained quietly.

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes.

"You have an army?" she blurted out, stupidly. A blush covered her face at the idiocy of her question and she flapped her hands in the air quickly. "Of course you have an army. I mean, but, why haven't you ever used it against Naraku?"

As annoying as her mannerisms and actions were, a small part of Sesshoumaru found that he was glad that the girl was acting a little more normal.

' _Well, normal for her.'_

Sesshoumaru sighed about her question; Jaken had asked it plenty of times in their travels.

"I am responsible for my land and the people that choose to ally themselves with me. A large percentage of my army is younger demons, bold and brash. While capable and strong, hey would easily be taken mind and body by Naraku. I, as leader of the West, must protect them and Nishi from the malicious half breed on my own. Furthermore, I need them to protect Nishi in my absence."

Kagome nodded in understanding. It was a matter of pride and loyalty for him. He wanted to prove to his people that he was going to protect them. Both by fighting on his own and making sure his army was their to protect them.

' _Like he's protecting me now,'_ her mind thought suddenly, bringing a blush to her cool cheeks. Looking away from the demon lord, afraid he would read the thought from her eyes, stared into the fire again as sleepiness swept over her and she abruptly yawned again. Ignoring her suddenly embarrassed scent and the tint in her cheeks, Sesshoumaru leaned back and spoke.

"Sleep miko, we leave for Nishi tomorrow. "

Kagome could only manage a nod before black filled her vision and she floated into sleep.

….

Nightmares plagued Kagome all night; startling images of Naraku and Inuyasha, betrayal and death swirling in the air so thick that Kagome was sure she could taste it. She woke with a start just as the sun was rising over the mountains. Sweat had beaded on her forehead. A chill ran down her spine. Her hands were shaking hard; she gripped her blankets in tight fists. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down as she stood on noodle legs. Walking over to her bag, she pulled out a new pair of pants, underwear, a long sleeve, and a wash cloth.

Looking around, she was surprised when she didn't see Sesshoumaru where he had been when she had fallen asleep. Shrugging, she walked toward the woods and listened carefully. There was the quiet babble of a brook nearby. Kagome to smile at her luck. Walking toward the sound, she found that she was oddly at peace. After crying all night and her short conversation with the icy demon lord, her soul was surprisingly calm.

The time alone while she walked toward the creek gave her time to think. She found that the lord was not nearly as bad as she had previously thought. She could tell by the way he looked at Rin as they had played yesterday. He truly cared about the little girl. A small smile graced the ebony haired girl's face as she pushed a branch aside and smiled at the clean water running slowly across the land. Kneeling next to the water, she dipped her cloth in it and rung it out thoroughly before she rubbed it along her face. It soaked up the sweat and left her feeling clean and refreshed. Pulling off her shirt, she carefully washed off her stomach and the skin exposed on her shoulders. Waiting a few moments for her skin to dry, she pulled off her pants and underwear as well. Shuttering in the morning breeze and the cold water, she quickly pulled on clean underwear and her new pair of jeans. She tugged her shoes on easily and pulled on her long sleeve shirt. With a few quiet grunts, she ran her fingers through her long, tangled hair. Once it was as de-tangled as she was going to get it, she pulled it up into a ponytail. Feeling clean and realxed, she sat on the bank of the water and listened to the sounds of the forest.

Sesshoumaru wasn't surprised when the girl was gone, he could easily sense that she had gone into the woods not long ago. Thinking it a good idea to follow her, he sat on a branch over her as she approached the water. He was glad, though he didn't know why, to see that she was feeling better this morning. Ignoring this feeling, he continued to watch as she knelt next to the stream and started to wash herself. Shock ran like electricity through him as he pulled off her shirt and then started to undo her pants. Finally, when she slipped off her under garments and he suddenly had a clear view at her all too nude body. Her skin was creamy, with goose bumps rising all over in the morning chill, and her shoulders were speckled with freckles from being in the sun too long. Her hips curved softly into a well-toned, flat tummy that led up to a decent size bosom that was currently covered by thick white bandaging. His molten eyes travelled back down to her hips as they connected to long, strong legs. He could see the little patch of curls that rested above her genitals between her legs, though she had turned away from him before he got a decent look. An absent thought ran through his head.

' _Beautiful.'_

The thought brought on a wave of disgust. Never had he found a human near attractive. It was rare for him to find another demoness he thought that of. Yet here he was, peaking at a human woman and finding her appealing. Sneering at her unseeing form, he jumped back from the tree and went back to camp. The farther he got from her, the arousal went down and the disgust remained. He had been wrong; allowing the girl so close to him had been a mistake. Despite his strange thoughts and feelings toward her, despite the answers he wanted, the girl would only cause him trouble. Growling at his own stupidity, he tried to be angry at the girl.

He couldn't though. His beast was howling at him for trying and that only fueled his angry. He felt his youki rise dangerously and the world around him bled pink. He had bound himself to the girl now and he had no choice but to be near her. The fury in his chest was sharp and hot. He found himself frozen, shaking in anger. It had been a very long time since his control had slipped in this way. The demon lord was too distracted to care, thoughts consumed by the girl. He could feel the miko rushing toward him.

She had felt his spike in energy not far from where she was. She imagined that he was coming to find her to tell her that they were leaving immediately. Afraid that the rise in energy meant that he was fighting, she had quickly gathered her things and run toward him. He wasn't moving at all when she found him, his back to her. His youki radiated off him in hot waves. Her reiki rose to the surface, protecting her from the onslaught. Where the two clashed, the air crackled.

"Sesshoumaru, are you okay? What happened?" she asked, slightly winded from running. She placed a careful hand on his upper arm and walked around to look at his face. She gasped quietly. His stripes were jagged and his eyes, however golden, were wild with anger.

"Remove your hand from this Sesshoumaru, mortal," he hissed, pleased when she looked hurt and took a step back as if slapped. His beast growled threateningly at him and attempted to reach out to comfort the girl.

"Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady. She didn't know why she felt hurt in the first place. The only time she ever felt like this was before when she would spy upon Inuyasha and Kikyou. At the time, it was acceptable that she felt betrayed. Now, the slight constricting in her chest made no sense at all. Sesshoumaru didn't claim to love her and she didn't claim to love him; there was no justification for this feeling.

Yet, here she was feeling as if she had been hit. While he hadn't said he loved her, he'd said he would protect her. She struggled for words. She finally let her hand drop and she stared at the ground around his feet. She didn't know what she was expected to say. So, she didn't say anything and just waited. Silence was always a safe bet when it came to Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was struggle between the strange feelings he had developed toward the girl and the intense rage he felt that she had managed to worm her way into his brain. He knew that he was fighting a losing battle. The way she clenched her jaw, the way her eyes wouldn't look at him, the very way she was standing made it impossible for him to be mad at her. Let alone hate her. His beast howled in delight and Sesshoumaru found his rage disappearing slowly. The tension left his hands and arms. The slight tint melted away from his eyes and his jagged strips disappeared. He stood staring at her, exasperated and frustrated with himself.

"Miko," he said softly, wanting to get her attention. He wanted his beast to quiet down about how sad she looked. It was giving him a headache.

With a little breath, she raised her chin and squared her shoulders. Kagome couldn't help the relief that washed through her when she looked into his calm eyes. The tension in her spine relaxed because she knew now that he had calmed down.

"Are you alright?" Her voice was soft and understanding. Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. While Kagome believed him, she wanted to prove that he was really okay. She raised a slow hand, making sure that he saw each movement. Reaching forward, she traced the strips on his wrists, seeing that they were as soft as the ones on his cheeks. She gripped gently, feeling his pulse beat against her fingers. It was slow, steady, and strong. Satisfied that he was indeed calmed down, she pulled her hand away and offered a small smile. Looking to his face, she was surprised to see that his eyes were closed. He was showing that he trusted her. A strange feeling bloomed in her chest. Her stomach fluttered and her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Kagome's breath hitched at the intensity of this emotion.

Unsure of what exactly she was feeling, the dark haired miko stepped away from her companion. It took three deep breaths before her heart slowed down. Sesshoumaru had opened his eyes to stare at her curiously, one silver brow raised. Kagome swallowed. In an attempt to hide her fluster, she avoided his eyes. The silver haired lord didn't ask her what was wrong, making his beast squirm.

' _Allowing her to touch my person was enough, you annoying beast. Leave me be. I care not how this human feels.'_ His tone was harsh with his inner youkai and he heard the beast grumble before drifting away into silence. Pleased to have his mind and actions his own again, he breezed past the girl quickly. Without turning, he spoke.

"Come girl, it is far past time for us to leave."

Kagome barely heard his words. Her mind was still wrapped around whatever emotion he had made her feel. All that she could discern was that it was strong. And warm. With a sharp shake of her head, and a stern order to get ahold of herself, she followed after the demon lord. She stayed a few steps behind him, continuing to push the unknown feeling away.

Entering camp, Kagome smiled softly when Rin came running over to them and threw her arms around Kagome's legs.

"Kagome, you're back! I was afraid you were leaving Rin behind!" she cried happily as she grabbed the miko's hand and gripped tightly. Kagome smiled, squeezing her hand tightly.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Rin." Rin smiled brightly, giving Kagome a good view of her missing tooth. Grinning back, she released the young girl's hand to grab her bag. Throwing her dirty clothes and the washcloth in it, she zipped it closed easily and carefully pulled the bag onto her back. It still hurt, but she was glad to feel that the wounds didn't re-open this time and that the twinges of pain were bearable. She guessed that he powers had aided in her quick healing.

Securing the bag carefully, she smiled as she watched the little girl clambered onto the two headed dragons' back quickly. Jaken soon followed her and the little group headed west. The whole time, Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru's back. She spent the time wondering what emotion had come over her earlier.

….

Inuyasha woke slowly, not sure when he had fallen asleep. He looked down at the camp and was pleased that Miroku and Sango were up and about, getting ready to leave. Jumping down from the tree, he was shocked when Kilala was immediately upon him, smelling him closely. After a moment, she hissed angrily at him as her fur stood on end. Sango, noticing the strange behavior from the fire cat, called her over and looked at her in confusion. Shippou, curious as to what Kilala smelled at, hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and took a deep smell. A hurt gasp slipped from his small mouth and he glared hard at Inuyasha. He jumped over to Sango's shoulder.

"You were with Kagome last night!" he shrieked in accusation with a pointed finger. Sango and Miroku looked at one another in shock before looking at Inuyasha angrily.

"What is he talking about, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked evenly, for the first time noticing the absence of his beads. Ignoring that fact for now, he waited for the hanyou to answer them. Inuyasha gaped like a fish, struggled for words. He looked desperately at Kikyou for help. Finding none, he swallowed harshly and looked away from them.

"She didn't go home. She started travelling on her own and joined Sesshoumaru," he said quietly. As an afterthought, he added, "She said she just can't travel with us now."

A painful silence filled the air and Shippou was the first to break it.

"I KNEW IT! I knew leaving her behind was a bad idea. You all told me that it was best for her and she'd be happier but you lied. You all lied!" He jumped away from Sango's shoulder and took off into the woods. Sango took a step to go after him but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking back at Miroku, he shook his head at her and gazed in the direction that Shippou ran off too.

"Just let him go, he won't listen to us now." Glancing at Inuyasha with a hint of disgust in his light violet eyes, the man sighed. "We should start moving. Shippou will be alright, he's been training. He'll most likely return before sundown."

Inuyasha just nodded, keeping his head down while he walked over to help Kikyou up. She had been watching the entire encounter with cold, uncaring eyes. She allowed her frozen hand to slip into Inuyasha's warm one and let him pull her carefully to her feet. Her soul collectors hovered around her protectively. Inuyasha ignored them and held tight onto her hand as they walked. Normally, she would have pulled away from such intimate contact. It made her soul and body ache for life. However, she could sense Inuyasha's need for a connection and allowed her small hand to stay swallowed in his as they walked.

The travelling was silent and tense. The hole that Kagome left grew larger.

….

Travelling with Sesshoumaru was awkward. Well, maybe awkward wasn't the right word. It was _quiet._ The particular kind of quiet that no one wants to break. Normally, this kind of situation would drive Kagome mad. In this case, the dark haired miko was so focused on her thoughts that she hardly noticed how quiet their travels were.

She had a small hand pressed over her chest. She could feel the residual warmth left behind from whatever had come over her earlier. She'd wracked her brain for a word to describe what she'd been feeling. The only one that even came close almost made Kagome snort.

' _There's no way,'_ she thought, with a decisive shake of her head, ' _There's no way in hell.'_ There was absolutely no way. There was only one emotion that came close to describing what it had been. _'I don't even_ like _Sesshoumaru. Let alone feel anything more than that.'_

The entire mystery was giving the miko a head ache at this point. She bit back a groan. Fairly sure that this was going to drive her insane, Kagome sighed heavily.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to turn around. He'd caught every grunt, groan, sigh, and snort was their little group had been travelling. It was a serious test of his patience. He wanted to whip around and demand to know what the miko was agonizing over. Or demand that she stop agonizing. _'I have a feeling that such a decision wouldn't work out very well.'_ The demon lord held in his own sigh.

The day continued like that until midday, when Kagome decided to stop thinking about it. She'd been thinking in circles for several hours at that point, making it nowhere in the progress. Settling on the fact that she would never know why she'd felt that way, Kagome pushed the entire train of thought to the back of her head. In an attempt to keep herself distracted, the miko started talking to Rin. The young girl was incredibly bright for her age, though the dark haired woman wasn't surprised. _'She's travelling with Sesshoumaru, after all.'_

Kagome walked alongside Ah-Un while they talked. The miko gathered flowers while they'd walked, handing them to Rin. The gap toothed girl twisted and tied them into crowns, presenting them to Kagome once they were completed. Kagome always smiled and accepted them, bending her head so that Rin could place them gently down on her ebony locks. By the time that Nishi was on the horizon, five crowns were carefully balanced on her head.

The demon lord listened to all of this closely. He was surprised to note how intelligent the miko was. She spoke to Rin patiently, but not as if the young girl was a toddler. Kagome spoke to her like she would speak to anyone else. _'She is a good mother. She will be a good mother to our pups,'_ his demon said with softness and certainty. Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat, a warning to his demon to cease such fanciful thoughts. He glanced when Kagome lifted her head and looked at him curiously. Sesshoumaru ignored the question in her eyes as they continued to walk. Nishi was close now. Strangely, a strong wave of homesickness filled him. He often preferred to stay outside the castle, to be free to roam as he pleased; now, he just wished for the privacy of his room and his thoughts. Increasing his speed, he ignored his company as they struggled to keep up with him.

Kagome was confused. Sesshoumaru had been looking her dead in the eyes, almost like he was waiting for her to say something. She's been a moment from asking him what was wrong, but he'd turned from her before she got the chance to ask. She stared at his back with a raised brow, but held back any questions. Her gut tightened slightly, a strange sense of nervousness coming over her.

Shaking her head, Kagome pointedly ignored the flutter of her heart. She knew that this nervousness had something to do with the moment from earlier that day. _'No more thinking about it today.'_ She knew that if she let herself go down that rabbit hole again, it would be all that she was thinking about for the rest of the day.

She was just about to ask when they would reach Nishi when the whispers of a familiar aura caught her attention. She stopped in her step and whipped to the right to stare into the forest with wide, frightened eyes. She extended her reiki out, feeling the auras of every creature in the area. _'There!'_ The aura she'd felt was wavering in fear, just a few hundred meters away. Sesshoumaru had stopped to look at her by now, eyeing her clenched fists and intent eyes.

"Miko, what is the meanin—"

Kagome was already running away from the path. Growling under his breath at her strange behavior, he turned to Jaken.

"Take Rin and Ah-Un to Nishi; tell Hiyashi that I have arrived."

Jaken nodded and took off toward Nishi as Sesshoumaru followed the idiotic human girl.

Kagome's legs burned, she hadn't needed to run this fast since the day she had been attacked. Her lungs begged for her to stop, but her mind told her to continue. Branches snagged her shirt and cut into her cheeks, but she ignored it all. She needed to keep going. He needed her. She could feel the other auras now, malicious and teasing. She ran faster. It took her less than a minute to finally break into the clearing where she found him. She scanned the scene, eyes immediately locking on to his curled form. Three adolescent bear youkai were standing above him. They were all bigger than she was, but not by much. Her anger rose immediately and her reiki pushed forcefully against their youki. They all flinched at the magnitude of her power, but held strong and sneered at her.

"You all have ten seconds to leave before I fry you within an inch of your lives." Her voice was low and dark. Each word annunciated perfectly and promising pain. She brought her spiritual powers to her fingertips, holding them up to show the young youkai that she wasn't kidding. Fear was easily read on their face and in their eye as they looked to one another before taking off into the woods. Kagome stood still for a moment and made sure they were gone before she reined her powers into her body and approached Shippou.

Kneeling a few feet from him, she offered a soft smile and spread her arms open. He sniffled for a moment, wiping the dirt from his face before he ran into his mother's arms. Large tears leaked down his face as she held him tightly.

"I'm sorry! I-Inuyasha made us leave you. B-B-But I didn't want to. I came to find you when they attacked me. I tried to fight them, but they were so big. I missed you, I didn't want to leave!" he was sobbing brokenly, words coming out in a jumbled rush, and Kagome really only caught half the things he said. She had sensed Sesshoumaru's approach but chose to ignore him as she ran her fingers through Shippou's matted hair and rocked him gently.

"It's alright, baby. It's okay. I'm not mad at you, not at all. You can stay with me now, I promise," she said softly as she looked up to meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. There was a stubborn look about her, giving the demon lord the impression that he really didn't have a choice. Though the fact that the miko thought she could force him to do something was irritating him, he held in any argument. There was no reason why the kit couldn't accompany them. He gave an imperceptible nod. Standing with Shippou in her arms, she walked toward Sesshoumaru. The lord could hear her muttering comforting words into the kits hair. He watched her approach and found that his previous anger at her stupidity vanished. Seeing her holding the kit so fondly, his beast stirred to life again.

' _Good mother,'_ he commented quickly, disappearing before the lord could growl at him. Kagome stood in front of him now, her mouth curled into a smile. There was something different about her now that the fox kit was with her. She seems to have relaxed, her body less tense and her smile a little brighter. Sesshoumaru's expression softened slightly. Satisfaction, similar to what he felt when she and Rin spoke, filled the demon lord's chest. He found that he felt these warm feelings— affection being the most prominent— around the miko often. It was unnerving to say the least. He'd tried, many times, to ignore these feelings. Still, the woman drew them out of him time and time again, with the littlest of actions.

Pushing his musing about the miko out of his head, he stared down at her impassively. She was still smiling gently, brushing her fingers through the kit's hair.

"I will carry you and the kit to Nishi, I wish to get there quickly," he said quietly, his baritone voice strangely gentle. She merely nodded and looked down to give Shippou a reassuring smile. She could tell that the demon lord put the boy on edge.

"He's going to protect us Shippou, it's going to be alright." Shippou turned his eyes to Sesshoumaru. The demon lord had expected the kit's most prominent emotion to be fear; he was surprised when Shippou turned bright, suspicious eyes at him. The fox's keen look bore into the demon lord. There was a protective look about the boy. It occurred to the lord that the kit's hesitation was not for his own safety, but for Kagome's. The silver lord was impressed by the kit's sense of loyalty.

Sesshoumaru returned the gaze, never breaking eye contact with the young fox. After a minute of staring, Shippou finally turned his head and nodded to Kagome. The miko had watched the interaction closely, knowing that the two demons were communicating in a way that only demons could. She was happy when Shippou finally relaxed.

Sesshoumaru, pleased that the kit had accepted him, stepped toward the pair. "It's time to go." He wrapped his arm tightly around the miko's waist, pulling her against his body. He heard felt her tense at the sudden contact, but otherwise ignored her as his youkai manifested under his feet. They shot into the sky quickly, high above the trees in a matter of moments. The demon could feel a small hand grip his clothing tightly, accompanied by the feeling of her face pressed hard against his side.

"Calm yourself, miko. I will not let you fall," he said, his voice strong. She found odd comfort in it and leaned against him, trying to relax. The grip on his shirt slowly relaxed until her hand moved to rub Shippou's back. The flight was not long, no more than ten minutes. He lowered them to the ground slowly and they landed just outside the large gates to Nishi. Releasing the miko, he beckoned for her to follow him. He paused when a small hand gripped his wrist tightly. Slightly annoyed, he turned to glare at the miko. She was smiling at him nervously, a light blush lighting her cheeks.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru." The sincerity in her voice settled some of Sesshoumaru's annoyance. He nodded to her once. Smiling at him, Kagome released his wrist.

When they walked into the stronghold, Kagome was taken aback. It was large, much larger than she thought it would be, and everywhere there were demons. Men, women, children; all working and playing and living life just as a human village would. They stopped with smiles and bowed to their lord as he passed, eyed her and Shippou with curious, yet not hostile eyes. The children would flock around her and look at her strange, bright blue eyes. Blue eyes were very uncommon among demons and the children would fascinated by it. They smiled and played. As they laughed she felt Shippou relax in her hold.

After a short walk, they went through another gate, into the castle grounds now. Soldiers stood at the sides and bowed to their lord as he walked back. They, as opposed to the demons of the village, eyed her with easily read mistrust. She shrunk at the look and stuck close to Sesshoumaru. She didn't want to know what would happen if she were caught by them alone. While she knew that she could handle herself, she doubted that the silver lord would be pleased with her fighting his men.

As they walked through the grounds toward the castle, Kagome looked upon soldiers training and nicely dressed women sitting on huge cushions under shades of trees. In a small garden, demonesses in simply kimonos bent with baskets and gathered herbs. Kagome assumed they were healers. Looking back to Sesshoumaru's back, she peaked around it at the demon approaching them. He had strikingly long silver hair that hung almost to his knees in a sleek braid. His bright orange eyes had Kagome assuming he was a dog demon as well. She watched him carefully and felt herself tense as he approached. She didn't know if he was a threat of any kind. She glanced at Sesshoumaru, seeing how he reacted to this person. She was slightly surprised when she felt his aura relax.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, my boy, it's good to have you back. We weren't expecting you so soon. Rin and Jaken informed me that you would be here," the man started with a large friendly smile. He looked around Sesshoumaru and eyed her curiously. "And who is this pretty little thing you have brought with you?" His large smile put her at ease.

"Higurashi Kagome, sir," she said with a bow, "And this is my son, Shippou."

The man appraised them with warm eyes and an open smile.

"Well, Kagome, it's very nice to make your acquaintance. I must say, it's a surprise to see my lord bring such a beautiful girl home," he teased gently, enjoying watching a blush spread over her cheeks. Sesshoumaru growled lightly and looked at Kagome.

"Come, I will show you to your room. I suggest washing up and changing into more appropriate clothing. We will have dinner shortly. Afterword, we will discuss the plans about the pursuit of the hanyou," he paused and thought for a moment, "Plan on staying here for some time though."

Kagome could do little more than nod as she followed him into the castle. It was huge and as she was led through twisting hallways, she found it was impossible to tell in which direction she was going. Giving up, she just let herself be led. Soon, they came to a door that Sesshoumaru stopped at.

"This is the kitsune's room. Rin's is just across the hall," he explained as he pointed to the room on the other side of the hall. Kagome nodded and let Shippou down.

"Go into your room and clean up, sweetheart. Rin will take you down to dinner soon, okay?" Shippou nodded at her words, though Kagome could tell that he was reluctant to be left here. The miko ran a comforting hand through his hair and smiled gently. "You'll be alright, I promise. If you need anything, get Rin and she'll help you find me." Shippou nodded. He hugged her tightly before turned and walking into his new room. The miko smiled after him. "I'll see you soon." With a small wave, she turned to follow after Sesshoumaru. He was waiting for her a little down the way. The girl expected to find irritation in his expression, but was greeted by a thoughtful look. He turned away before she could look any closer.

Not too long later, she was stopped again by a different door.

"This is your room, miko."

Entering the room after Sesshoumaru, it was all she could do not to gasp. She resisted the urge to gape. Turning to Sesshoumaru, she beamed.

"Really? This is my room?"

Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. He could feel a small wave of affection at the sight of her bright, excited expression. His mouth twitched into a brief smile.

"Yes, you will stay here while we remain in Nishi. I will let you get ready." He paused to nod his head toward a door on the other side of the room. "That door leads to my room. Should you need anything, come get me."

Kagome blinked owlishly. She turned slightly to glance at the door, then back to Sesshoumaru. His face was unreadable and for a moment, Kagome was close to asking him if he was serious. She bit back the question and nodded.

"I'll wash and change. Will you wait and escort me to dinner, or…" She didn't know how else should would find a way through the maze of the castle. He nodded once and walked past her to the door that connected the two rooms.

"Be ready in half an hour." The door was shut and she was alone. She dropped her bag near the door, stretching her arms high above her head with a low groan.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome looked around the room.

On second look, she was even more overwhelmed by the lavishness of the room. A large futon was laid out against one wall, covered in an expensive looking blanket. It was satin soft to the touch and Kagome nearly moaned.

' _I get to sleep on this tonight. I don't have to sleep on the ground tonight.'_ Kagome was tempted to skip dinner all together and go to bed right now. Shaking her head, she continued to look around. A small tea table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by plush cushions that looked as soft as the bed. She walked over to peak into the closet; it was filled with kimonos so beautiful that the miko was afraid to touch them. Next to the closet was a large vanity. It was made of dark, sleek wood and the mirror had small engravings around its edges. Kagome trailed her hands over the surface, looking at the array of makeup spread out in front of her. She wondered if she'd need to wear any of it while she was here.

There was one more door that Kagome hadn't opened yet. A trill of excitement ran through her; she was fairly sure that she knew what was behind it. Giddy with anticipation, she pulled the door back. This time, she did moan. A large, wooden bath was set into the floor. Several small bottles were set next to it, along with a pile of towels.

The miko didn't waste any time. She stripped out of her clothes in record time, setting them in a small pile near the door. She sank into the warm water, sighing heavily and closing her eyes.

' _This is what heaven must feel like.'_ She was momentarily upset that she only had a few minutes to enjoy the warm, relaxing water. Pushing away the disappointment, she tipped her head back into the water.

She spent almost ten minutes in the luxurious water before she washed her hair and reluctantly climbed out of the water. With a towel wrapped around her head and her body, she returned to her room. Standing in the middle of her room, she realized that she didn't know what she should wear. She could put on jeans and a t-shirt, but she wasn't sure if that was appropriate while she was in the stronghold. She was just about to ask Sesshoumaru when she remembered the large trunk. Walking over to it curiously, she pulled it open with a grunt and found clothes. It was filled, for the most part, with sleepwear and simple yukatas. Digging carefully, she found a simple, light blue kimono with a matching tie.

Drying quickly, she shrugged into the simple white layer under layer before she walked over to the vanity. Picking up a comb, she combed gently through her hair until it hung straight and untangled. She wasn't overly concerned with how her hair looked, so she pulled it up into a messy bun and pinned it there. Satisfied that she was presentable, she walked back to where she'd laid out her outer layer. She pulled it on delicately, not wanting to rip it. Once it was tied, and she was confident that she was ready for dinner, she walked over to Sesshoumaru's connecting door. Raising a hand, she knocked against the wood frame softly. She tried to ignore the nervous fluttering in her stomach.

"Enter, miko," his voice came through softly. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open and entering quietly. Sesshoumaru was sitting at his own low tea table. He had a brush in his hand and parchment rolled out in front of him. Kagome felt awkward for a moment, fidgeting near the door. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. She took the moment to observe the demon lord. His armor had been abandoned and she could tell that he had changed as well. There was something different about the lord; the crease in his brow had relaxed. He looked comfortable.

She blushed when she realized that he was staring at her now. His eyes raked over her, taking in her appearance. The nervous knot in her stomach tightened. When she peaked up at him, he nodded his approval and rose from the table.

"Come with me." Nodding, she followed him out of the room and down to dinner.

Dinner passed by uneventfully. Rin and Shippou immediately got along, much to Kagome's relief. At least her son would not be alone here. The children chatted loudly, trading stories about their travels. Kagome chimed in every now and then, adding her own memories. Once dinner was completely, Sesshoumaru ordered for Jaken to take the children up to bed. Jaken only grumbled for a moment before he took the bonding children to their rooms. Kagome could hear them begging him to read them a story even before they were out of the room. The dining hall was silent for a few moments before Sesshoumaru rose and looked at Kagome expectantly.

He led her out of the room and down an unfamiliar hallway. They only walked for a few minutes, long enough for Kagome to know that she wouldn't be able to find her way back, before Sesshoumaru opened a door and allowed Kagome in. It was a simply furnished study with a few bookcases of scrolls and simple books, as well as a low desk with brushes and parchment spread over it. A cushion was in front of the desk and Kagome sunk into it immediately. Sesshoumaru circled the desk to stand near the window. Outside, he could see the garden that Rin liked to frequent. With fall setting in, the roses were well on their way to wilting.

' _Rin will be sad.'_ Ignoring the thought, Sesshoumaru sat at the desk and eyed the miko. She stared back at him with open curiosity.

"We will stay here for a time. I wish to oversee some of the training of my army, and Ah-Un, Jaken, and Rin need to rest. I, also, need to rest. You and the kit are to stay here with me. You are permitted into the town to converse with the people there if you wish, but you may not leave Nishi," he explained, his tone possessive as he looked down at some of the documents. Most were from the other houses, speaking of the fast approaching grand meeting. Celebrations irked the demon lord so he chose to ignore them for the time being. He looked, instead, at the miko and watched curiously as her anger rose.

"You don't own me, Sesshoumaru, I can leave if I so choose," she said in frustration as her hands clenched and she stared at him. While she was incredibly grateful for his help and hospitality, she refused to allow him to order her around. She was her own person and would make her own decisions. He raised a brow at her insolence and let his youki flare in warning.

"You will listen to me," he said in warning. He looked down again, as if dismissing her.

"I will not! You do not own me, Sesshoumaru. I am my own person and I will do as I please!" she said, loudly. Sesshoumaru twitched in anger and his hands itched to hit her. His beast growled at him for such a thought and Sesshoumaru glared at her.

"You will not speak that way to me, woman." His voice was a growl deep in his throat.

Kagome sneered and stood as her powers shook in her hands. Her reiki pushed back against his youki.

"And you will not speak to me as if you own me. If I choose to leave Nishi, I will."

Sesshoumaru stood and was over the desk with his hand around her throat in an instant. Before she could even take a breath. He growled at her in warning. She could tell the growl was not a simple threat. She still glared.

"You will not handle me in anger, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said icily, noticing how his eyes flickered uncertainly when she used his full title. She considered raising a hand to grip his wrist, but decided against it. Attacking him wouldn't fair well for her. She continued to stare at him straight in the eye, determination never wavering.

The stare down only continued for another moment before he dropped her and took a step away. Walking back to the window, he didn't face her as he spoke.

"I do not wish to fight with you, miko. My intentions behind keeping you in Nishi are for your own protection. I will not have one of my pack leaving my protection," he said, quietly. He didn't know why he was explained himself to this girl, she did not deserve it. She had yelled at him and disrespected him. He knew, though, that this was just how she was. She was not like the girls of this era; she would not just mindlessly listen to him. As much as he hated it, he needed to speak to her as an equal.

' _And that's why we like her so much,"_ his beast said with a soft voice. He simply sighed, too tired to fight with his demon right now.

His voice was still husky from the growl, but Kagome could tell that he was just trying to show her why he did what he did. With a deep breath, she felt her anger soften and disappear. She just smiled and nodded.

"I'll stay in Nishi, Sesshoumaru. I appreciate your protection and hospitality. Now, I'm going to bed," she said quietly. She bowed low, showing him that she respected him. When she straightened, she looked at his back. She felt the strange urge to reach out and grab his hand. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to hold his hand and feel his pulse the way she had in the woods. She fought the urge though; she had already lived through yelling at him, she didn't think she would survive through touching him. She smiled softly though and turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Kagome," he said, so softly she almost didn't catch it.

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. "Goodnight, Sesshoumaru."


	4. Chapter 4

Naraku growled in frustration as he stared into Kanna's mirror. He watched through the glass as Kagome wandered the safe grounds of Sesshoumaru's palace. When he had been informed that she had been left alone, he had thought a gift had fallen from heaven to him. Now, he watched with irritation as she laughed, smiled, and was generally happy. He didn't wanted to see her happy; he wanted to see her begging him for mercy, pleading for her life. Anger overtook him and he clutched the almost complete jewel in his hand tightly. A slight smile graced his features when he listened to Midoriko scream from its depths. Her never resting soul was tortured by the blood and taint he brought to the jewel. Satisfied with at least her suffering, Naraku looked to Kanna with cold eyes.

"What can we do to bring out precious little flower a good dose of misery?" he asked casually as he rolled the jewel between his fingers. Kanna closed her eyes and pulled her mirror close to her body. After a moment of silence, Kanna extended the mirror to show Naraku the future that he could create.

In the reflection, a young wolf demon was sneaking through a crack in a large stone wall. The stone wall surrounding Nishi's castle. She was running toward the river and from across the river, Naraku saw a half demon smiling at her broadly. She smiled back. The image disappeared and the same girl appeared again, this time wringing out laundry and clipping it to a line. Out of the corner of the mirror's frame, Naraku could see Kagome smiling and laughing with her. Again, the image disappeared only to have a new one resurface. Naraku recognized a jewel shard in the woman's back, her eyes void of feeling as she brought a knife over her head and thrust it down toward the cowering figures of two children in the castle. The images washed away and left only the blankness of black in the mirror. Kanna stepped back and bowed her head.

Naraku chuckled, but soon the chuckle turned into a full blown laugh that boomed through his castle and shook his servants to their cores. They knew that laugh, pain was promised after that laugh. Flinching, they all hurried to continue what they were doing. None of them wanted to be the one that laugh was pointed at.

Pinching the jewel carefully, Naraku pulled off a small shard and pricked his finger with it. He watched with sick satisfaction as his blood coated the shard and sent Midoriko into wordless shrieks inside her jewel prison. Looking to the corner of the room, he noted Kagura and Kohaku sitting close to one another. Smirking, he flicked the shard to Kagura, who caught it easily and stared at Naraku with a raised brow.

"You know what to do with it, take Kanna with you. However, give our little princess time to settle in and get comfortable. Once she is, Kanna will show you when the girl is going to be outside the walls," he said with a smile as he touched Kanna's back lightly and pushed her gently in Kagura's direction. Kagura sneered at being bossed around, but ripped a feather from her hair nonetheless. Tossing it out the nearby window, she grabbed Kanna and leapt onto it immediately, in a hurry to be out of the miasma dungeon. Naraku watched as they took off with a strange smirk, one that promised pain and misery. He chuckled once more softly before retreating back into the depths of his palace.

….

Kagome stretched as the bright morning sun lit her face and brightened her smile. She made a soft grunting noise as muscle stretched and joints popped.

"That was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," she groaned happily as she looked at her futon and touched it lightly. Suddenly, a flash of her bed at home hit her and her mood fell. She missed her mom and family dearly, but she knew that as long as she was with Sesshoumaru, she wouldn't be able to go home as much. At least, not without him escorting her there and a long journey with only Sesshoumaru wasn't what she needed now with these feelings she couldn't explain. A blush colored her cheeks delicately as she thought of the strange, fluttery feeling that filled her chest when she was near him. She was still denying that it meant anything, but the longer that it lasted, the weaker her arguments felt. She was starting to come to terms with the fact that she definitely had feelings for the demon lord.

"I've hardly seen Sesshoumaru since making it here," she whisper with a little huff in her voice and small hint of bitterness. Shaking her head to dispel the embarrassing, angry thoughts, she stood on bare feet and stretched up onto her tip toes one more time before sighing contently and starting the day. She stripped out of her sleeping yukata and bathed quickly, only taking the time to wash her hair. Upon stepping out of the bath, she toweled off and picked out her kimono for the day. Picking a simple, two layers one again, she settled on a deep, earthy brown with a matching cream under layer. Pulling it all on, she tied the obi tightly and continued to comb her hair before tying it back in a braid.

"My hair is getting long," she commented quietly to herself as she touched her bangs and pushed them out of her eyes. Smiling at her reflection, she deemed herself ready for the day and walked out of her room.

However, upon closing the door, she was faced with the same challenge she had every day that she had been here. What was she supposed to do with her time?

Snow had started to fall during the month she'd been in Nishi. She wondered one day what month it. She'd been in Edo through August and September, travelled for two weeks on her own, another two weeks with Sesshoumaru, and had been in the stronghold for almost a month. She knew that she had met up with Sesshomaru mid-October. Doing the math in her head, she determined that it was early December. During the month she'd been in Nishi, she had managed to blend into the day to day life easily.

She still had not left the castle grounds, she was nervous about trying to re-enter with the guards at the gate. Their looks still echoed in her head and sent a long shiver down her spine. Deciding to first get something to eat, she headed in the direction she thought the dining hall might be in. On her way, she thought about what she had done while in the Western capital.

"Well, I helped to gather the last of the herbs before the first snow fell. I trained a little with my bow and I've meditated. Oh! And I've played with Rin and Shippou," she mused out loud to herself as she rounded a corner and spotted a familiar face. A smile broke out on her lips as she waved at the small wolf youkai and jogged over to her.

"You-chan! It's so good to see you again," Kagome said earnestly as she smiled at the girl. They had met her first official day here, while the little demoness had been folding laundry. Kagome offered to help the girl and the two sat for an hour chatting and laughing as they folded sheets. The entire time, Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's eyes on her, but whenever and where ever she looked, she never caught him. Mentally slapping the images out of her head, Kagome tried to concentrate on what her friend was saying.

"Oh, Kagome, hello. It's good to see you too. Where are you off to this early in the morning?" the little ookami asked shyly as she smiled and shifted the basket of laundry she was holding to her hip. Kagome motioned to take it from her, but You-chan side stepped her and her smile widened. Letting her have this one, Kagome laughed as she began to walk with the demon.

"I was heading to breakfast and then I might go and train a little," she said, her tone bored as she thought of the place she really wanted to train. On the far side of the court yard that they had entered in, next to the herb garden, was a large dojo. Kagome had peaked inside once and watched as soldiers spared. They covered everything from hand to hand, to sword work, to obscure weaponry that Kagome hardly recognized. Since that day, Kagome had been itching to go in and ask to practice with them. She had extensive practice with hand to hand that various village mikos and Miroku had taught her in case her bow was gone, and absolutely no sword experience. She remembered the times she had begged Inuyasha to teach her to wield a sword with a pang of sadness. Sango had always promised to teach her, but the hunt for Naraku came first and they hadn't gotten the time to actually train. Thinking of her friends now made her lonely, the anger and hurt at their abandonment had faded into an ache of loneliness and worry. Feeling tears threaten her eyes, she shoved the thoughts away and quickly pretended a yawn to pass off the tears. Wiping her eyes she looked to You-chan with a half-smile.

"This is me," she said as she pointed at the dining hall. She waved at her friend and walked slowly to the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open and couldn't help the dumb smile that overtook her features when she spied who was sitting at the end of the table.

Sesshoumaru raised a snowy brow as he watched the miko's face light up and her beast sang in his head. Ignoring the annoying voice, he motioned for the girl to sit and tried to forget the way that smile made him feel. Watching her practically skip to her seat, he found that it didn't irritate him the way that it would with anyone else. It was just part of Kagome.

' _A human woman I am slowly starting to accept,'_ he found himself saying silently. Taken aback by the mere thought, he looked away from the girl and back to the documents in front of him. He had to admit, at least to himself, that he was not at that table for breakfast. He should be working and could have a servant bring him his food. After only seeing her no more than a handful of times in a month, the lord found that he had a deep seeded craving to see the miko again. To hear her voice and see her smile and smell her scent when it was fresh and coming off her in the moment. Pushing these thoughts away, he watched out of the corner of his eyes as she got food and ate happily. He was surprised at her silence though and found it unnerving; he was so used to her talking that it was odd to see her mouth shut.

' _One day that mouth will be wide open, screaming our name in climax,'_ his beast said joyfully. Sesshoumaru growled so quietly that Kagome was sure she imagined it. Glancing up at him, she felt her heart stutter and her hands shake ever so slightly. Since when had he had this power over her, to drop her into a crushing teenager? Sighing softly, she looked back down at her food and tried to concentrate on her miso soup.

Sesshoumaru peaked at the woman, noticing the increase in her heart rate and the slight tremor of her hands. She seemed to be concentrating very hard on her soup. The demon lord wondered what she was thinking.

' _She is usually so easy to read,'_ the ice lord noted, ' _it is rare that I have to wonder what she is feeling.'_ Pushing his musing on the miko away, he looked down at the paperwork spread out in front of him. Unknown to the miko, he had held an ulterior motive for returning to the castle when he did.

The meeting of the Four Houses, while still a few months away, was fast approaching. Much to his misfortune, it was Sesshoumaru's turn to host the event. He growled under his breath again as he thought of the tedious work that had to go into the meeting. It was a three part occasion.

First, the grand meeting took place. The lords of the four lands and their advisors sat down to talk about problems with borders and goods, along with marriages between houses and alliances. It was a lot of talking and negotiating. Honestly, it was the easiest part of the entire event, for Sesshoumaru at least.

The second, a friendly festival that hosted merchants from all of Nishi to sell their goods to the visitors from the other houses, this ended with a short sparing round amongst the houses. Each house was permitted to elect two people to fight, and a panel of judges and referee were chosen at random. It was a friendly event, purely for the entertainment of the guests.

The third day was an elegant ball. This year, Sesshoumaru was expected to announce his pack and his potential future mate. Last year he had celebrated his one thousandth birthday, as per tradition, it was time for him to find a mate. This was the part of the ceremony that he hated the most.

He sighed through his nose at the obnoxious work and wondered for the umpteenth time why he had taken the position as Lord. Already knowing the answer, he rolled up the scroll and stood silently. Looking once at Kagome, he nodded his head to signal for her to follow him. Finishing her last bite and taking a last sip of water, before standing and scurrying after him. They walked in silence all the way to Sesshoumaru's study. Kagome was finally starting to remember the way there.

Feeling comfortable in this space, she threw herself with little grace onto the cushions on the floor and tried to find a comfortable way to sit before looking at Sesshoumaru with a carefree smile. He had a brow raised and sighed at her antics.

"Are you incapable of showing the least amount of grace, miko?" he asked, his voice lacking its usual cold overtone. She smiled at him, unashamed, and adjusted one more time before settling in and smirking. He sighed again. Standing by the window, he stared out at Rin playing gleefully in the fields with the miko's fox kit. He felt a tug at his lips and ignored it as he turned to his desk and sunk onto his own cushion.

"I have news for you, miko."

"Kagome," she said abruptly, her tone annoyed. Sesshoumaru looked at her with a slightly raised brow.

"I am aware of your name, woman," he said, his tone matching hers almost perfectly. Kagome glared at him and clenched her fists.

"Will you please use it then?" she asked as politely as she was able, even though the annoyed undertone seeped through. Sesshoumaru felt his ire rising slightly, wondering why this girl thought that she earned such a thing. He sneered slightly at her and looked away.

"Regardless, there is news," he continued, feeling no urge to argue with her right now. She relaxed slightly as she prepared to listen to him. Seeing that he had her attention, he paused and wondered where to begin.

"There is another reason I have chosen to return to my home when I did," he started slowly, staring out his window from his see. He watched Rin force a crown of flowers onto Jaken's head.

"Oh?" Kagome asked, not sure where he was going with this.

"There is to be a grand ceremony, soon. It will take place in the spring. The other three houses will meet here. The meeting will commence over a four day period.

The first day, the other houses shall arrive. We will greet them in the main hall, that evening there shall be the meeting. We will discuss the problems of the other houses, whether it be inter house conflict or foreign conflict. This is mostly about border dispute and trading between the lands. The second day, a festival and sparing tournament. Merchants from Nishi's city will sell their wares to the other houses; this is followed by a tournament between the houses. There will be a party that evening to celebrate the victors. The third day is an elegant ball; at this ball I will announce you and Rin as a part of my pack. I am also obligated to announce a future mate. And the final day, the houses will leave." Sesshoumaru paused and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Kagome tried to soak in all that he had said. If her guess was correct, and it was indeed in the first days of December, then spring was roughly five months away. Somewhere between April and May. Not very long especially considering all that he had described for the festivities. The fact that the other houses were going to be there was enough to take in, but he was officially going to announce her as a part of his pack? And he had to have a future mate picked out by then? She felt a sharp pang rip through her chest at the thought and it caused her heart to squeeze tightly and her breath to hitch. Ignoring this, she tried to make her mouth work.

"So, why do I need to know all this? I mean, besides the announcing me as a part of the pack," she asked slowly, her mind still reeling. "And how does this affect the hunt for Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru sighed at her questions, though wasn't surprised that she was asking them. Shaking his head slightly, he unrolled the scroll in front of him.

"You will be expected to accompany me to all of the events of the ceremonies. The Grand Meeting, especially. Your former group may have had information on the evil hanyou that I do not have. You can explain the problem of the jewel to them. The hanyou affects all the nations, not just the west. It is my responsibility as a lord to warn the other lords of potential threats to their security and land," he explained, watching with satisfaction as understanding spread in her eyes warmly. She nodded and after a moment, the warmth was gone. She looked vaguely troubled, her brows pinched and mouth downturned. Confused by this, he glanced at her curiously.

"What troubles you, miko?" he asked, his beast growling at the use of the word 'miko'. He hushed the beast and looked at her expectantly. He watched as she struggled with words and played with her hands. "Is the answer written on your palms, girl?" he demanded impatiently, displeased with her stalling. Watching her flinch with much less satisfaction than he expected, he once again ignored his beast's anger.

Despite his tone, she continued to think for a moment. After a hum in the back of her throat, she spoke.

"I-I, was wondering what you were going to do about the, the uh, future mate part of the ceremony," she asked, a blush adorning her cheeks quickly. As much as she may deny her feelings for the lord, she couldn't ignore the tight knots in her stomach. The demon lord felt his beast sing at the look on her face, and Sesshoumaru was confused by his sudden happiness at her misery.

' _She's troubled because she's finally realized that she has feelings for us. She's despairing at the thought of you taking another as your mate because it would leave her alone. She's falling in love with us! Just like we are her!'_ the beast's voice grew more and more happy as his speech went on, and Sesshoumaru could hardly believe the words he was hearing.

Not only was his beast claiming that the girl was falling in love with them, but he also claimed that he was falling in love with her! Ignoring the impossible words of his youkai, he stared at the girl and tried to think of what to say to her. He hadn't thought at all what he was going to do as far as having to choose a mate. Part of him wanted to ignore tradition and announce that he had no intentions of taking a mate.

' _That's a lie though,'_ he had to admit to himself. He knew that one day he would be forced to choose a mate. It would not be for love, or for even affection, it would purely be so that he could have an heir. Or at least, that's what he had always thought. Now though, the thought sounded strange to him. As if he was missing something. Deciding to think on it later, he stopped listening to the insistent words of his beast and looked again at the girl.

"I have no plans regarding that matter as of right now," he said quietly, watching as some of the distress disappear from her face. It was replaced by a surprising emotion. A look of intense relief washed over her. Her face relaxed and she smiled the littlest of smiles. Her bright eyes gleamed, the dark shadow of trouble dispelled. He found himself captivated by her, caught up in her bright eyes.

The relief that filled Kagome was as surprising as it was intense. The tight knot in her stomach burst into a swarm of butterflies that racketed around in her ribcage. Her heart beat hard against her ribs, almost to the point of pain. She didn't notice this though. All she could concentrate on was Sesshoumaru's dark gold eyes locked onto her. She couldn't remember a time when he'd looked at her so closely. She was moving before she had a chance to think.

Sesshoumaru watched her lean forward. Her small hand reached out and brushed the stripes on his wrist. Her touch, ever so gentle, calmed his beast and erased the stress that the ceremonies brought on.

"You have a strange fixation with my wrists, Kagome," he whispered, his voice holding an almost teasing quality as he opened his eyes and stared at her. She smiled nervously, eyes locked onto his hand.

"I can feel your pulse in your wrist," she explained quietly, fingers still tracing along his wrist, "When I did it in the woods, I could tell that you had calmed down." She hummed quietly in the back of her throat. "Though, your stripes are fascinating as well."

Sesshoumaru breathed out a quiet chuckle. "It is a sign of my heritage. They were passed down to me and someday I will pass them down to my kin."

Kagome's hand stilled, fingertips barely touching the inside of his wrist. Her wide eyes stared down at the tips of his claws.

' _Right. He'll have children someday. He'll find a mate and be with her.'_ In that moment, the reality of her situation crashed down around her. There was no denying it now. This feeling, the crushing sensation around her heart, was only something she'd ever felt because of Inuyasha. When the half demon would run to meet Kikyou, Kagome would sit up, unable to sleep. She'd stare into the fire, heart in her throat and tears in her eyes, praying that someday it wouldn't feel like this. When she'd finally let Inuyasha go, she was sure that she'd never have to experience this sensation again.

' _Oh, what a cruel world it is.'_ She could feel tears burning the corners of her eyes. With a hard swallow, she pulled her hand away and sat back. Sesshoumaru watched her move, a brow raised at her strange behavior. He wasn't sure what had caused this shift in emotion, but he couldn't ignore the twinge of concern that he felt. He listened to the loud beat of her heart and smelled the salt of her tears. Something was definitely wrong.

Kagome stared down at her hands, clenched into fists in her lap. She could feel her heart racing. She felt like she couldn't get enough air in her lungs. The whole room seemed to close in on her.

' _How could this happen? When did this happen? What do I do now?'_ Her thoughts raced and raced around her head. She couldn't concentrate on any of them; every time she picked one, ten more popped up.

' _I need to get out of here,'_ she thought desperately, ' _I need to leave. I need to get ou-'_

"Kagome."

The sound of her name being said momentarily pulled her from her thoughts. She realized that her chest was heaving, her breath coming in and out as sharp gasps. Her entire body was shaking. She could feel the hot tears running down her cheeks. She looked up to the demon lord with wide, lost eyes.

Sesshoumaru prided himself on being a calm, rational individual. He could approach problems logically and find a solution to them with ease. It had been a long time since he'd felt at a loss of what to do. Needless to say, sitting across from the miko and watching her melt down was not something he was prepared to handle. He knew very little about calming down another person, let alone a human that had a propensity for being overemotional. All he could do was sit and watch as she stared to hyperventilate and cry. He would never admit it, but in his desperation, he did the only thing he could think to do.

"Kagome," he repeated, softer and gentler this time. The miko was still crying and her breath was still coming in short, little gasps, but she was looking at him. That, alone, was an improvement. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kagome blinked at him, not understanding what he was asking her. Her heart was still stuttering in her chest, skipping beats as she stared at him. His gold eyes, filled with the slightest bit of concern, brought on another wave of tears. She needed to get out of here; get away from him. The realization was too new, too raw. She needed to break down, cry, and work through this. And there was no way that she was going to be able to do that here.

She jumped to her feet, ignoring Sesshoumaru entirely. Backing up quickly, her back hit the bookshelf behind her. Kagome's head swam, dizzy from hyperventilating. She wavered on her feet. She watched with wide eyes as he stepped around his desk toward her, his eyes cautious.

No, she couldn't let him near her again.

Turning quickly, she bolted from the room and down the hall. In the time that she had been there, she had gotten a fairly good grasp on where everything was in the castle. If she was right, her room should be just around the corner. Turning the corner sharply, she realized that Sesshoumaru's aura was right behind her. Pushing herself as hard as she could the last few feet, she slid to a stop in front of her door. Throwing it open, she made it into her room and turned to close it just as clawed hand grabbed the shoji door and halted her action.

She stepped back from him. In a desperate attempt to hold in a sob, she bit her lip hard. With a hand desperately wiping at her eyes, she tried to compose herself. Sesshoumaru stared at her cautiously, not sure how he should proceed. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he had even followed her. There was something about the way she was crying that unnerved him. When she had wept over being left behind by her friends, he had simply wanted her to stop so that the grating smell of salt would leave the air. Now, he itched for the tears to cease so that she would smile again. He tried not to think about why he wanted to see her smile and just concentrated on trying to cease the tears.

"Miko, what causes these tears?" he tried to make his voice gentle, only half succeeding as a slight amount of annoyance broke through. He watched unhappily as she flinched.

Kagome couldn't believe what was happening. One look, one gentle look that held the slightest bit of amusement had been all it took to make her realize what was happening to her. One sentence and she realized how deep she already was. She'd denied it this whole time, this slow change in herself as she spent more time in Sesshoumaru's company, in his home. They had only been together for a little under a month and a half.

' _How could I have been so stupid?'_ she demanded of herself as she tried to wipe the tears away and explain to him the madness that had overcome her. The madness that had crept under her skin and rooted itself deeply in her heart, leaving her no choice but to follow it and let it grow within her. She tried to take a deep breath and it just came out in hitched sobs.

Why? Why did she always have to set herself up for heartbreak? First with Inuyasha, someone who could never choose her over his first love. Now, his brother, the icy lord who swore to love no one. Let alone a lowly human. A demon lord who was destined to mate a beautiful demoness and bare heirs to his throne.

She felt her breath hitch again and she could tell her tears were slowing. The initial shock of realizing her own feelings was wearing off and leaving her tired, empty. She needed time to process these realizations and figure out how she was going to deal with them. She could tell, just by the little roots planted deep in her heart, that this love was far greater than her crush for Inuyasha. Another pang of pain, the echo of unrequited love beating with her heart. She stared at Sesshoumaru now, her eyes red and puffy, and tried to think of what to say to him.

She said the first thing that came to mind, the only honest way to describe her strange outburst.

"I'm… I'm confused," she said, struggling to explain this. She glanced desperately from one side to the other, trying to think of something to say. "I realized something and got overwhelmed. I'm sorry." The words trailed off, barely a whisper by the end. "I'm _sorry."_ Unable to stand in front of him anymore, she turned and retreated into her private bath house. Without another look at him, she closed the shoji doors quietly. Leaving Sesshoumaru to ponder what her words meant.

After a minute, she heard him walk across the room and go to his own through the connecting door. Sinking to the floor, she held in the second wave of tears that threatened to overtake her. After a moment, she stood and walked over to the bath. Not an hour ago she had bathed— her hair was still damp— but she needed to wash the tear tracks from her face. Stripping there, she sunk into the deep, warm waters and let them wash away all the loneliness and sorrow that had soaked into her bones. She splashed the water on her face to wash away the crust and salt that had dried at the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks.

After fifteen minutes, she felt the tips of her fingers pruning and decided it was time to stop hiding from the world. Rising out of the water, she realized she was out of towels. Cursing softly under her breath, Kagome groped around for a stray towel or forgotten one. Finding none, she carefully gathered her abandoned kimono and walked back into her room. Spotting her towel from that morning, she was about to grab it when something shiny caught her eye. Turning around, she glanced at the trunk against the wall. On top, a note was writing and resting upon the note to hold it in place was a small silver dog charm. Grabbing the towel, she wrapped it around her body for she touched the inu charm lightly and moved it to the side. Pulling the paper open gently, she stared at the words and tried to comprehend them.

' _Perhaps I am confused as well.'_ She read it over and over again, her heart racing the more she read it. The words sunk in slowly. He was saying that he might… She couldn't even think it. A small smile graced her face as she set the note down and continued to towel off. Despite her attempts to think rationally, it was hard not to get her hopes up. Even having the slightest inclination that he _might_ feel the same way was enough to lift her mood. She was still raw. Her heart still hurt. Her mind was still reeling. She had hope, though. That was more than she had before.

Going through her morning routine for the second time that day, she decided that she needed an outlet for all of this. Energy buzzed under her skin, her reiki agitated by her turbulent emotions. While deciding how she wanted to work out the tension, Kagome caught sight of the dojo from her window. A smirk spread over her face, determination lighting her eyes.

She was going to enter that dojo. Today.

Still naked from her bath, she dug through her bags and made a small noise of pleasure when she pulled out her short training pants and a tank top. Pulling them on, she used a rubber band to bind her hair in a high ponytail on the top of her head.

Turning to her door, she raised her head high as she walked over to it and pushed it open slowly. She needed to be strong. Her heart may hurt and she may be overwhelmed, but she'd been strong up to this point. She'd stay strong now as well.

….

Sesshoumaru knew the minute that she stepped out of the shower. He listened intently to the beat of her heart and the sounds of her feet as she walked around the room. He was curious to the small sound of pleasure, but ignored it as overwhelming amounts of pride and determination spread through her aura. He, curious as to the sudden shift in her mood, listened as she left her room and waited a moment before leaving his own and following her.

He was surprised by her state of dress. Even the day that she had toiled in the dirt of the herb garden had she dressed nicer than this simple outfit. Curiosity only fueled, he followed her silently with a masked aura to see where she was going. His confusion only grew when she walked out into the courtyard; he watched a goose bumps rose on her arms and legs where they were exposed from the cool winter air.

He watched as she casually walked toward the dojo, her tiny feet leaving imprints in the blanket of snow, and her intent slowly dawned on him. A feeling of immense respect overwhelmed him as he stopped walking and watched as she stood in the doorway of his dojo and after a moment of deep breath, entered with a high head.

' _She will never cease surprising me,'_ he admitted to himself, smirking at his beast's noise of agreement. He followed silently after her, curious as to how his soldiers would react to a woman, let alone a human woman, in their dojo. He smirked at the thought.

….

Kagome stared at the men surrounding her with calm eyes. They were all looking at her with intense looks of surprise and in some cases, disgust. Among them, one approached her. He was a large demon, a lizard, if she had to guess. His tongue flicked out in irritation as his yellow eyes narrowed at her angrily.

"What do you want, woman? The healer's quarters are next door," he said gruffly, smiling as a few soldiers chuckled along with him. Kagome stared at them emotionlessly.

"I want to train," she said calmly, completely serious. The dark haired woman had to fight back a smirk as the demons all gaped at her as if she was growing a second head. She almost giggled.

The lizard was the first to regain his senses; he growled at her.

"Is that so, woman? I would like to see what you could _possibly_ teach us." His pride was evident in his voice as his knees bent and he held out his hands. Kagome smirked at the obvious challenge in his stance and fell into a similar one, her arms tucked close to her body and her powers awakening slowly.

The lizard took no time, as soon as her position was set, he lunged at her with a loud grunt. Kagome anticipated this and side stepped it easily. She elbowed him hard in the back of the neck. He choked on his breath and fell to his hands and knees. Turning, Kagome kicked him hard in the ribs. Sending him toppling onto his back. Stepping back, Kagome smirked. The lizard was getting to his feet and growling angrily. Again, he came rushing at her, all punches and jabs. Kagome dodged most of them, taking a few in the arms. Grunting, she ducked down and swiped her leg out, knocking his feet from under him. Stepping back as he fell to his butt, she couldn't hold back the giggle that slipped from her lips at the dumb look on his face.

Rage overtook his features and his yellow eyes flashed a dangerous orange as his pure youkai energy erupted out of him. This took her off guard and Kagome didn't have time to do anything before a sharp kick to the knee sent her crumpling to the ground. She could feel her knee pop out of place and grunted loudly. She could hear the demon laugh over her and fury burned in her veins. Pushing herself to her feet, she felt her knee lock and with a hand on either side of her knee, she pushed it into place with another low grunt. Testing it gently, she knew that she'd need to be careful with it now. It could hardly sustain her entire weight on it. She was happy that this wasn't her first dislocation or she wouldn't have known how to pop it back into its proper place. Ignoring the memories of her shoulder dislocation, she eyed the smirking demon coldly.

"Don't you think this has gone on long enough, little woman?" he said. The mock was easily read in his feral eyes. Ignoring his attempts at riling her, she braced herself and waited for him to make his next move. Seeming to realize that the battle was going to continue, he fell into his first stance and the smirk held strong.

' _I will wipe that smirk from his face,'_ she promised herself darkly, watching as he came at her headlong again. Anticipating this, she jumped back and when he tried to straighten to look up at her, she sent a well-aimed kick into his jaw. She smiled when blood dribbled down the corner of his mouth. It was foul and green, making Kagome's nose wrinkle. Normally, she would have felt guilty for causing another to bleed, but in this case it was necessary that she make a place for herself.

If she was going to live here, she needed to continue to train and this was the only place she could do it properly. She needed to gain at least some of their respect or they would never take her seriously. She would not accept that. Determination blazing anew, her eyes started to glow faintly with miko energy. It was time to have a little fun, she decided.

Watching passively as he straightened, she saw the serious look in his eyes. He, also, needed to impress these men. To hold their respect and to maintain his pride, he needed to win. Turning serious as well, Kagome got ready to fight once more.

Five minutes later, neither party had given in, but Kagome was visibly tiring. Her dodges were slow and her jabs weak as she hopped back and tried to put distance between her and her opponent. Her breath was coming in desperate gasps and sweat dripped down her face and soaked her hair. Her knee ached deeply and she knew that she wasn't going to last much longer. Deciding that it was time to end this fight, she waited as the youkai came at her with a fist. The object was intended for her face but Kagome ducked and forced her energy into her fist. Her powers came to her immediately, burning along her skin. The miko drove that fist into the demon's gut as hard as she could. Not hard enough to damage anything, and certainly not with enough miko energy to do anything but sting him; but the result she planned was the same. A choked grunt and his body going heavy with dead weight. He was out instantly, falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Unconscious. Kagome looked around and took in the flabbergasted, taken aback looks of the demons around her. Her face reflected pride and her eyes demanded respect.

"He's just knocked out, you guys. He'll come around soon," she said, assuring them almost smugly as she stepped over the lizard's still body and walked slowly toward the door. Her knee was stiff and hurt to put pressure on, but she refused to show that to the men staring at her. As soon as she was outside, she allowed herself to limp some as she approached the castle entrance.

"A little healing powers and I'll be fine," she muttered to herself. She was dreading the walk up to her room though. She contemplated just going to the medical wing when a strong energy washed over her.

Stilling on the path, she wondered what Sesshoumaru was doing. Looking around, confused, she was glad when she felt him approaching her. She might require his help getting to her room. Her leg was beginning to feel noodley and she didn't want to put anymore strain on it.

Sesshoumaru appeared beside her in moments. Without word, she was being assisted by one arm around her waist to help her to her room. She wondered for a moment if Sesshoumaru had been watching. As if reading her mind, he looked down at her with eyes that reflected approval.

"I was impressed with your fighting, I had not expected you to have gained such skill in the time with my idiot half-brother," he said quietly as helped her get to her room. She was still trying to catch her breath and didn't attempt to answer him until he was helping her lay on her futon. After another deep breath and a drink from the cup of water offered to her, she replied.

"Thanks, I've wanted to go in there for a while now. I missed training; Miroku used to each me some hand to hand, along with some other priestesses that we ran into," she explained as she took a deep breath and looked down at her knee. It was no longer dislocated, but was stiff and sore. Begging for rest and sleep, and perhaps a little help from her miko powers. Placing her hands on her knee, she pushed a little of her energy left into her knee to ease the discomfort there. Moments later, it felt almost back to normal and Kagome was near out of energy. She looked up to Sesshoumaru, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. There was a strange energy between them that made Kagome want to squirm. Embarrassment at her earlier meltdown brought a blush to her cheeks.

"You can leave; I'm going to take a little nap to renew my energy. Dinner tonight?" she asked quietly, a small yawn breaking the last word in half. Her eyelids drooped and she struggled to stay awake to hear his answer. She should have realized that such aggressive fighting would take a lot out of her after so long relaxing. Especially after the emotional rollercoaster that today had been. Her mind was becoming foggy and a dream state was threatening her. When he finally spoke, she wasn't even sure it was real.

"Yes, Kagome."


	5. Chapter 5

Kagura sat on the balls of her feet, leaning forward slightly on the tree branch as she peered at the ground expectantly and waited. Kanna sat beside her, her short legs dangling over the edge of the branch and her mirror resting in her lap. If Kagura looked at it, it showed the image of the wolf girl heading their way. The wind demon had already done the work of incapacitating the wolf's little friend, so all there was to do was wait.

And just moments later, she came tip toeing into the area, standing at the edge of the stream and looking around with an expression of confusion twisting her face. Kagura felt a smile dance on her lips as she jumped down from the branch and landed lightly behind the girl. Sensing her, You-chan whipped around and looked at her with wide eyes, like a startled deer that was about to bolt.

' _Now, it wouldn't do us any good if she ran,'_ Kagura thought with a grimace. She detested having to do Naraku's dirty work for him. Especially when it was work that turned others into exactly what she was. A puppet under the control of a mad man. Stalking toward her, she watched as the girl scurried backwards only to trip and fall on her butt. Turning, the wolf looked into the water and went to dive into it, it was her only chance of getting away. Living in the castle had refined all of the fighting instinct out of her and she didn't have the slightest idea of how to protect herself. Grunting quietly, she jumped toward the river and yelped when she came crashing down to the ground. A clawed hand was wrapped tightly around her small ankle, claws digging into the soft flesh and twisting. The little wolf held back the urge to scream and tried to claw her way toward the river. She was not going to sit down and be overtaken, even if she didn't know how to, she was going to fight. Somewhere deep in her mind though, she knew that she was going to lose this fight. It made her struggling desperate and messy, and made her impossibly easy for the wind youkai to overpower her. Pinning her hands easily behind her back, Kagura grunted for Kanna and waited for her older sister to help her.

Kanna walked over to stand at the girl's side as she bent down and easily parted her hair from her neck. Reaching into her mirror, she slowly pulled out a single dark jewel shard that glowed darkly. At the appearance of the shard, the little demon stopped struggling and stared at the shard with large, hypnotized auburn eyes. The power that the jewel promised sang to her youki, stirring something deep in her soul.

Frowning, Kagura held her hand out and took the shard from Kanna. Without any hesitation, she jabbed a claw mercilessly into the back of the demon's throat. Not deep enough to harm seriously, but deep enough to hide a shard. The girl yelled in sudden pain and was momentarily returned to her senses before the jewels song was suddenly bursting through her veins. The demon woman had dug the jewel deep into the wound and watched as the life and will faded from the woman's eyes. She sat still for a moment and watched with mild satisfaction as the wound healed nicely and showed no sign of the dark treasure hidden in the girl's flesh. Rising slowly from her position on the girl's back, Kagura watched as the woman lifelessly picked herself up off the ground and stared at Kagura with blank, soulless eyes. She was little more than Naraku's puppet now. She was flesh and blood, but her mind was not hers anymore. Kagura grimaced.

Now that her job was done, she was forced to return to that horrid castle. Grimace turning to sneer, she stared at the woman and repeated what Naraku had instructed her to say.

"Go to the castle; act as normally as you can. Find a way to be alone with the girl's children, the little human Rin and the fox kit Shippou. Once alone, kill them. No hesitation; if you hesitate," Kagura let the sentence drop as Naraku intervened and the woman was suddenly on her knees clawing at her throat. Kagura, unsure of what was actually happening to the woman, watched with boredom as the tenseness left her body and the girl collapsed to her hands and tried to regain her breath. The wind demoness ignored her struggles and turned. She couldn't show weakness; she couldn't show mercy. If Naraku thought that she was anything less than his puppet, he would make a point of reminding her of her position in the world.

"Come, Kanna, it is time to return," she said as she plucked a feather from her hair and threw it into the air lightly. Jumped easily onto it, she helped Kanna up and gave the woman one last, almost pitiful look. Then, she willed her feather to ride the wind and carry her back to the castle. She pushed down the desperation turning her stomach. She hated going back.

….

Kagome blinked against the sunlight glaring in her face. She groaned loudly, a slight pout coming to her lips as she rolled over and hugged her pillow tightly to her body. Her body was sore and tired; she had no intentions of moving anytime soon. Content with just falling back in a dazed sleep, Kagome was surprised when her door was pushed open and someone was entering. Peeling her eyes open slightly, she watched as Sesshoumaru's boots came toward her face. Confident that he wouldn't kick her, she sat still and waited until he spoke.

"Why are you still in bed, miko?"

Kagome groaned again, more quietly this time and rolled onto her back. With an arm draped over her face, she could hear the implied 'Get up' behind his words. Stretching her fingertips above her head high, she allowed her toes to curl and pop before slowly sitting up and looking up at Sesshoumaru. Even in the morning, he radiated perfection. In the castle, he looked much different than he did among the woods of the world. His haori was simpler and he had lost his armor, but his swords remained secured to his hip. His hair, usually flowing freely down his back, was in a long braid at the moment. Kagome still felt her fingers tingle with the urge to touch it, just one more time. She clenched her fists and ignored the urge as she pushed herself to her feet and smiled at him.

"Okay, I'm up, what do you want?" she asked, oddly cheerful. She wondered if it was his presence that was making her so happy, because five minutes ago she would have tried to behead anyone that tried to wake her. She held in a giggle at the thought and continued to smile at him as she waited for an answer. He stared at her with that unfathomable expression that made her knees a little weak and she wondered for a moment if she was going to need to sit down. She remained standing though, mesmerized by his eyes.

Sesshoumaru appraised her slowly. He looked at her long hair, tousled and tangled from sleep. Her eyes, despite having just woken up, were clear and bright.

' _Beautiful,'_ his beast purred quietly. Sesshoumaru ignored it.

"You did not join me for dinner," he said so quietly that Kagome wasn't sure that she had even heard him. A pang of guilt rippled through her chest and her brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you come and wake me? I would have gladly joined you," she said quietly. Something urged her to step toward him; she let her hand rise slowly and just barely touched the fabric where his arm should be. More guilt washed over her and her eyebrows scrunched further.

"I'm sorry," and he could tell that she was apologizing for more than missing dinner with him. His beast demanded that he soothe this guilt that their mate was feeling way, and Sesshoumaru sighed.

' _You have gone as far as to start calling her our 'mate' now?'_ he thought, exasperated. It was only midday and he could feel the urge to relax washing over his mind. He sighed inwardly and looked at the girl's huge blue eyes. So much emotion was in them that the youkai lord was not surprised that they were blue. They were like a basin of water running over because there was too much in them to hold. It was captivating, and Sesshoumaru realized then that it was her eyes that would be his undoing.

' _And her body, and mind, and smell,'_ his beast added to the list, even its voice dazed. Looking down at the tiny hand clutching his sleeve, he tried to decide if he regretted the loss of his arm. It had been his first encounter with this strange miko, which was something his beast adamantly refused to allow him to regret.

' _The only regret is we have only one arm to hold her with,'_ his beast growled seriously as he stared through Sesshoumaru at her blue eyes.

Kagome felt her stomach flutter and her heart race as she stared at him. _'I don't think he's ever looked at me so intently.'_ His bangs around his face, the stripes curving along his high cheek bones that came into a point nose, his gorgeous eyes. Molten gold that, at any moment, could be frozen into solid ice. Now, they were glowing bright with some unknown heat that Kagome couldn't put her finger on. Their eyes were locked and neither blinked, afraid that the connection would flee when eye contact was lost. Kagome let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and sucked in another one, internally flinching at how loud it was. The demon lord looked at her as a bright blush crossed her face. Sighing inwardly at her strange human ways, he looked at her for a moment before he turned and swept from the room.

"Go eat lunch. Once you have eaten, join me in my study. There are matters that I wish to speak with you about concerning the upcoming events."

Kagome nodded even though his back was to her and watched as he walked out of her room, closing her door quietly behind him. After a moment of trying to get her breathing under control, Kagome let a cheery smile overtake her face as she set to her daily morning routine. After a bath, combing and braiding her hair, and pulling on a fresh kimono, Kagome walked out of her room and headed toward the dining hall.

She hummed happily to herself as she walked, with almost a skip in her step. Upon entering the dining room, she was bombarded by two small bodies wrapping themselves around her legs. She smiled even more widely at them and patted the children's heads as she detached them from her legs. They chatted happily at a hundred miles an hour while Kagome smiled and sat with them. Throughout lunch, they told her about playing in the gardens and hiding from Jaken. Rin couldn't stop giggling when Shippou told the futuristic miko about stealing his staff and hiding in a tree with it.

"It was so funny watching him run around in circles, squawking for us!" Rin giggled loudly as she and Shippou high fived over the table. Kagome laughed with them. While she never approved of terrorizing another, she had to admit that she wasn't fond of the little toad demon. And none of their pranks were harmful, just the usual teasing expected from children. After half an hour, the children ran out of the room with all the intent in the world to torment the little green toad. Before they left, she reminded them not to bothering him too terribly much. Smiling after them, Kagome sighed and looked down at the grains of wood in the table. Tracing them lightly, she wondered why she was stalling. She knew that all Sesshoumaru wanted to talk about was the ceremony.

' _Why then am I hoping for more?'_ she asked herself with a loud sigh as she pushed from the table and headed for Sesshoumaru's study.

….

Once out of her room, Sesshoumaru stopped in the middle of the hall and looked back at her door. Exhaling quietly, he continued slowly to his study with the miko strong on his mind. He couldn't understand these feelings that bubbled in his chest whenever she was around.

' _Whenever she looks at me with those damn blue eyes,'_ he thought with anger that he didn't even feel. The girl had efficiently wormed her way into his mind, then into his company, and now into his very soul. Her little human hands clung tightly to him and refused to leave. And as time went on, he found that he wanted her there. He wanted her at his side, to watch the emotion play on her face and the feelings dance wildly in her wide eyes, to smell her unique scent. Since she had arrived, Sesshoumaru had been trying to decide what exactly she smelt like.

It was comforting and strong, yet at the same time wild and untamed. The cold lord found himself inhaling deeply through his nose to find the faint scent in the air and relished in it as he slid his study's shoji doors open and stepped through. The small space also held faint traces of her delicious smell and the taiyoukai found that he was impatient for her to join him here. This impatience brought on a sudden thought. When had his hatred of this woman stopped? He had always loathed that she was with his imbecile brother, but had he ever really loathed her? _'Perhaps it was just the half breed I was annoyed with.'_

Unable to answer that question, he moved on to another one swirling in his thoughts. What exactly were his feelings for this human child? He found that he didn't quite know the answer to this question. The thought of her brought on intense feelings of possessiveness and the fierce need to protect her. Upon accepting her into his pack, he had put a formal claim on her. Though not a mating claim, it was a claim none the less. Any suitor would need to ask for his permission before courting her and any lord address him before wanting her. The thought brought on another feeling he couldn't understand. Jealousy ran wild through his blood at the thought of another male having her as his own. Why was he experiencing such jealousy, and so intensely? He didn't love the woman.

' _No, but you care for her. You are affectionate of her. And that is more than you have felt for any other female,'_ his beast pointed out, his voice smug. The icy demon lord snarled, not at the words, but at the fact that he couldn't argue with them. Sesshoumaru wasn't stupid; he knew when to admit when someone else was correct. People thought him incapable of this, since he didn't do it very often. This was not the case, Sesshoumaru was just very rarely wrong.

In this case though, he knew that his demon was right. This little woman, this insignificant female had found a way to earn his affection, his trust, and his protection. He wanted to feel angry. He wanted to be furious that she had changed him without his notice. He wanted to be seething that she had made him weak. That thought stopped him cold. Was he weak now, for his affection of the miko?

' _I do not feel any weak.'_ His claws dripped with acid and his whip extended easily. Retracting it before it disintegrated the stone beneath his feet, he pushed his youki out to its full extent and grimaced when it went just as far and was just as potent and powerful as it had been a month ago.

This troubled him.

Had he been wrong in his assumption that affection for humans brought weakness? His father had died for a weak, human female and his brother. Was that not weak? Was protecting them with his life a show of strength? He had never considered this, only seeing that he had died and knowing that action in and of itself was weak. The thought of being wrong troubled him and made his brow furrow as he sat down. The woman was bringing so many things into perspective and making him question so many aspects of his life. A headache was developing just above his eyebrows and radiating throughout his entire head. Sometimes, it seemed that she was more trouble than she was worth.

' _And then she looks at me with those cursed eyes and that bright smile,'_ he thought with a twinge of bitterness as he ran a hand through his silver locks.

Abruptly, he felt the miko coming toward the room. Looking out at the high sun, he realized it had been nearly an hour since he had spoken to her. He had wasted an hour thinking about her and what she was doing to him. And at the end, all he knew was that he had some strange feelings for her that made him possessive and that he was not weak for feeling affection for a human. Two things he had thought impossible for himself. Pinching the bridge of his nose to fight the throbbing in his temples, he waited for the woman to arrive. He did not look forward to the conversation he was going to have with her.

And that's how Kagome found him. She had been halfway to his study, walking at a slow pace as she analyzed the dynamic of their strange relationship, when she had felt his youki pressing down on her forcefully. It made her knees lock and she found that she was unable to move for several moments, her miko abilities had jumped to the surface to protect her from falling under its immense power, until it abruptly disappeared and the air was once again clear. Worried that something had happened, she hurried to the study.

Throwing the door open, she stared at a much stressed looking Sesshoumaru. His face was hard and his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His brows were furrowed and he looked almost like he was in pain. Worry only heightened, she walked over to him and touched his hand gently. Her healing powers slipped from her fingertips and through his hand into his head, willing the obvious pain there to lessen. After a moment of this, Sesshoumaru exhaled almost inaudibly and grabbed her hand gently. Moving it from his face, he released it when it was again near her side and looked up at her with frozen amber eyes. She saw the gentle request to step away and respected his wish as she walked over and threw herself into the cushions. Shifting and squirming until she got comfortable, she stared at the western lord patiently and waited for him to speak. She did not have to wait long.

"I would like to discuss the possibility of a male offering to be your mate at the festivities," he said, his words clipped and his voice flat. The demon lord had been dreading this conversation. He stared at her, curious as to how she would react to this information. Kagome merely blinked and her head cocked to the side a little as she stared at him. She had no idea what he was talking about. Seeing the confusion and lost look in her eyes, the demon lord explained.

"A tradition of the ceremony is that other lords will bring potential heirs such as princes and princess to look for mates. Most are strategic, to gain favor with another lord or to solidify peace between lands. I have now accepted you into my pack, meaning that you are available to be offered as a mate to a royal of another house. Other lords and princes will ask me for your hand and given permission, start courting you. This Sesshoumaru needs to know if you have any interest in being courted," he said frankly, staring at her with flat eyes as he watched understanding bloom on her face. And then disgust.

"Ugh! No! That's awful. I would rather die alone than be in an arranged marriage," she said vehemently. She visibly shuttered at the mere idea and Sesshoumaru was pleased. He let this show in his slight smirk. He nodded in approval and turned to look out the window.

"Good, this Sesshoumaru was not happy with the idea of giving you off to another house. The racket my younger brother would cause is not worth it," he said, adding the end as an afterthought. Kagome was both surprised and saddened by the statement. She was hoping he wanted to keep her around for her, but then she wondered how Inuyasha would even find out about the marriage at all.

"How would Inuyasha know in the first place?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"The whelp will be here for the ceremony. He is not only obligated to attend, but he wishes to speak with you. I sent a messenger out five days ago to inform the half breed and he returned yesterday evening to inform me that Inuyasha agreed to attend. He will arrive roughly two weeks before the other lords and ladies. The monk and demon slayer will be accompanying him."

Kagome took a moment to take this all in before a wide smile splitting her lips. She had long since forgiven her friends, knowing they did it to help her, and the idea of seeing them excited her. Yes, it was still months away, but it was better than not knowing when she'd see them again.

Sesshoumaru watched as she smiled and a small smile of his own tugging at his lips. Suppressing the urge, he turned away from her and stood slowly. Walking around the low desk, he stood in front of her reclined figure on the cushion. Staring down at her, her face sobered and she was lost in his bright eyes. She watched as he slowly knelt in front of her.

He'd been thinking about her all day, contemplated what she meant to him and questioning a large part of his belief system. Upon coming to the realization that she meant _something_ to him, he decided that he wanted to try something she had mentioned once.

She was surprised when he reached a hand toward her. She felt her heart skip a beat when he placed it gently on the side of her neck and closed his eyes. Her heart beat thrummed, strong, under his fingertips and it made his beast purr seductively. He felt another smile tug at his lips.

"You were right," he spoke, his voice deep, "It is calming to feel your pulse."

Kagome huffed out a laugh. "It's a little thing, but it grounds you. When you're upset, it's hard to control your own heartbeat. When you can feel another person's, it helps regulate your own breathing."

The demon lord only offered a hum. He let his fingers slowly trace upward and down her jawline to her chin. Her skin was soft and when he touched it, little bursts of her scent were sent toward him. He found himself unconsciously breathing more deeply, wanting to smell more of her. It was a mix of her personal scent, and the jasmine scents that were mixed in with her clothing. Remembering his trouble recognizing the smell of her, he concentrated and recognized lavender. Soft and fragrant and calming. Something he'd smelled on occasion but never sought out. Maybe he enjoyed it now simply because it was Kagome. He like that explanation, it was the closest to explaining everything about her. She was the way she was because she was herself. Wanting more of this scent that was distinctly the miko's, he bent slowly down and let his nose hover over her hair. Again, the jasmine was faint there but he focused solely on her scent.

With his face so close, Kagome struggled to keep her breathing under control. She was confused, but pleasantly so. She had come to terms with the fact that she was developing very strong feelings for him. She had accepted that those feelings were most likely unrequited, despite the little glimmer of hope that the lord's note had given her. She told herself not to expect anything. Expectation led to disappointment. She had never considered that they would end up like this. A part of her was nervous. An anxious voice in the back of her head whispered about heartbreak and loneliness. She curled away, her defenses starting to rise. She needed to protect herself.

Sensing the change in her posture and the sour turn her scent had taken, the demon lord slowly opened his golden eyes and stared at her.

"What's wrong, miko?" he asked faintly, his warm breath fanning over her face and making her shiver. The anxious knot in her stomach loosened slightly. He hadn't pulled away yet. He wasn't pushing her away. Maybe this was okay. Maybe she was going to be okay. Slowly, she reached her hands forward. Tiny fingers danced over his cheeks, brushing his strips gently. A sigh brushed over her face again; she watched as gold eyes slowly closes. She smiled privately, tracing her fingers along his cheek bones. He hummed deep in his throat, nearly a purr.

Carefully, slowly, she moved her face toward his. The miko's fingers had traced down his face now, resting against the pulse point on throat; his fingers were still resting against her throat as well. Their foreheads were nearly touching at this point. Sesshoumaru's eyes were still closed. Quickly, before the anxious voice in her head talked her out of it, Kagome pressed her lips gently against Sesshoumaru's. She felt him tense against her. Her brain screamed at her to pull away, run as far as she could, and pretend that this had never happened.

She didn't have a chance to do any of that. The hands disappeared from her throat, replaced by strong arms wrapped around her waist. His mouth moved against hers gently, nipping at her bottom lip softly. Kagome hummed against his mouth, burying her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. Neither of them were thinking, just feeling. Enjoying each other.

Kagome snapped to her senses first.

She realized what she was doing, what she had done, and her face warmed so quickly that the demon lord was worried for half a second. Pulling her face back, she panted for breath as she stared at the dog demon with wide, horrified eyes. Sesshoumaru felt an odd amount of pride swell within him as he noticed his scent mingle with hers and saw the shine of saliva on her lip. His beast howled in pleasure, pleased by this first marking of them on her.

And suddenly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Sesshoumaru realized that this girl was his. It was not quite the way of a mate, but it was heading that way. The affection he had for her was not something that he had ever felt for anyone else, and it was this affection that made her his. Had you asked him a month ago, he would have denied that the woman would ever find that she was allowed in his company, but now he stood here holding her, her saliva still fresh on his lips and her smell twisting pleasingly with his own. He found the position appealing. He might not want a mating right now, but he certainly wasn't opposed to a good rut with the little miko in his arms.

A sharp pain slammed him in the head as his beast twisted and thrashed in his hold, growling and howling so loudly that his mind was throbbing.

' _DON'T YOU DARE! YOU WILL ONLY HURT OUR MATE AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT! DO THAT AND YOU ARE LITTLE BETTER THAN YOUR BROTHER!'_ While insulted and outraged by the insolent words, Sesshoumaru was shocked at the amount of rage that his beast had been able to muster, and the amount of fight he was putting up against the cold demon's steel hold on him. Ignoring all of it, including the thoughts of rutting, Sesshoumaru slowly released the girl. She sat back on her knees carefully. She was still staring with those wide, anxious blue eyes. She spoke before he had a chance to say anything.

"I am sorry, I-I don't know what came over me," she said her voice frantic, but soft, and the threat of tears was strong in the quiet last words. He heard a bit of fear in her words. He didn't understand why she felt that way; what did she fear from her actions? His beast snorted at him and Sesshoumaru could still feel his anger sending ripples of pain through the demon lord's head.

' _She is afraid of your anger and your rejection. Remember, our little mate has been hurt many times by your idiot half-brother. She fears that you will turn her away. She is starting to regret setting herself up to be hurt.'_ The anger had fallen from the ghostly voice and sadness filled the hole. Sesshoumaru felt some of it seep into his own mind and growled internally. Wishing to cease all of these feelings, he looked at the miko as calmly as he could with his splitting headache and grumbling beast.

"I would not have returned the kiss had he not wanted to, miko. You have no need to apologize," his deep baritone voice vibrated in his chest and made Kagome shiver. She had to admit that he was right. Sesshoumaru never did anything he didn't want to do. It help sooth some of the anxiety and fear curling in her gut. Carefully, Sesshoumaru's clawed hand tipped her chin up and he looked into her eyes. He could see the lingering doubt and nervousness in her eyes. In an effort to calm her down, he released her chin to hold her hand. He guided her fingers along his wrist, pressing the tips down gently. He was pleased to see a ghost of a smile.

"I have paperwork to attend to. I would like to show you something first though," he said softly. He gently pulled his wrist away from her and turned toward the door. His beast nagging in his head as they walked, telling him that he needed to admit his feelings to the girl or she was just going to continue to think that they were one sided and end up looking for someone else. The idea irked the demon lord and he once again thought of the males coming from other houses in the next month. They were going to be troublesome. He knew that they were going to be attracted to the miko following behind him. They would be attracted to her strange eyes and soft curves, as well as her power and feisty attitude. The mere thoughts of such annoyances brought the headache back and he could feel his temples begin to throb.

Kagome looked at his back curiously when she felt his aura change slightly, taking on a hint of annoyance. Frowning, she tried to think of ways to soothe whatever was troubling him. None came to mind before the tall lord stopped in front of a door and motioned for her to join him at his side. Stepping forward, she stared at the door curiously. Sesshoumaru motioned for her hand. Offering it freely, she watched curiously as he pricked the tip of one claw into the pad of her index finger. She didn't try to pull away, knowing he was doing this for a purpose.

Dropping her hand, he motioned for her to open the door. Kagome moved toward the door and felt herself pushed through a barrier. Resting her small hands against the smooth wood, she felt the grain absorb the small drop of blood from her finger. With a hard push, the door fell open more easily than the miko expected. Her balance tipped forward and she threw her arms out to catch her fall. A clawed hand reached out and grabbed her upper arm quickly. Once she was steady again, the hand fell and her skin tingled where he had touched it. Ignoring this feeling, Kagome looked around the room with awe sparkling in her face and shining in her smile.

The entire room, from floor to ceiling, was bookshelves of scrolls. A few early books were scattered here and there, but books were expensive to make and very few existed. It was mostly scrolls. And from the sheer number of them, they had to be on every topic under the sun. Sesshoumaru led her through slowly, pointing out the shelves and telling her what they had scrolls on. Finally, they ended in the farthest corner of the room in front of a smaller shelf. This one was decorated with ornate carvings of large dogs. Kagome ran her fingertips over one gently and a small smiled graced her lips.

"They look like you," she whispered softly as she placed her palm over it and sighed. She looked back at him with a curious expression. "What's on these shelves?"

Sesshoumaru didn't fight the urge to smile a small smile as he reached his hand out and touched the top of the shelf.

"This is my family, my clan's, history. It tells of all the dog demons on record. All the lords and ladies, all the battles and births, everything that you could possibly want to know about my people." Kagome smiled at his tone. He was proud of his family, his people, and his clan. A clan that she was a part of now. She knew that she was going to be spending a lot of time reading this collection.

"Am I allowed to take them out of the library?" she asked curiously, referring to all the scrolls in the library. She was slightly taken aback when Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"You may take all those save the ones on these shelves. Powerful magic is placed connecting the library to these scrolls. It is to protect my history and those of my family that are still alive. They cannot be removed from this room," he explained. She nodded in understanding as she touched a scroll lightly before turning to him with a bright smile.

"You have paperwork to work on, Sesshoumaru. I'll probably stay in here for a little while before going to play with Rin and Shippou. Give poor Jaken a break from their antics," she said with a chuckle. She looked down at the scrolls with excitement and anticipation shining in her never ending eyes. "Dinner, tonight."

Sesshoumaru smirked at her as he looked at the scrolls as well.

"Only if you bring yourself to show up this time," he said, his tone teasing. Kagome looked at him in shock; she had never heard him tease anyone before. She was starting to think that this whole "ice cold demon lord" act was merely for those he thought undeserving. Which made her think, what suddenly made her deserving of seeing his emotions? Ignoring the thought, she smiled.

"I think I can manage that."

"Then I look forward to your company tonight."

And with that, he was gone, sweeping out of the room gracefully and silently. Kagome touched the scrolls gently and walked to the far right side of the shelf. She grabbed the one with the earliest date printed into it. Unrolling it gently, she found a comfortable place in the mid-winter sun to lie on a cushion and read. Settling in, she started to read about the birth of demons to the world.

….

Naraku watched as his mindless little puppet went through her chores for the thirty-third day after he had implanted the shard in her. As of right now, it had been rendered neutralized so that nobody would suspect something amiss, as they would if she was to be strange and zombie like. The half demon was proud of his newfound ability to pull his power out of a jewel while keeping it dark enough so as not to notify the miko. Now though, he was growing impatient and had decided that today was the day. He looked elsewhere in the castle through Kanna's mirror and smirked at the image of his soon-to-be miko slave lounging on a cushion while she read. He smiled with seductive evilness at her image.

"Soon, my little miko, you will be sitting at my side."

Snapping his fingers, he watched as the image melted back to his little wolf puppet. Tapping the jewel lightly with the tip of his fingernail, he watched as the life drained from the wolf's face and she stared into nothing. The basket of laundry that she still carrying on her hip held the knife that she would use against the children. He smiled as she discarded the basket behind a rose bush and entered the rose garden, which was more like a labyrinth, with the knife tucked securely into her obi.

The hunt had begun.

….

Rin giggled loudly as Shippou sent weeping acorns to swarm Jaken's feet; her breath came out in white puffs in the cold air. The little imp squawked and wailed at them, until he finally huffed and exclaimed that he was better than this. Watching him march out of the garden with little nuts clinging to his short legs and feet, the children fell to the ground laughing so hard that tears seeped out of the corners of their eyes. After a few minutes, they both sat up and smiled widely at one another. The silent communication between them we easy to read; they wanted to find more mischief.

"Let's go find Kagome! Maybe she'll play with us!" Rin said excitement evident in her voice. She was still overjoyed to have the older woman was there with them. It had been so long since the little girl had a woman in her life to look up to, and now that she did, she was terrified to lose her.

' _But that won't happen before my Lord Sesshoumaru loves Lady Kagome,'_ her childish mind reasoned. Nodding with a sure smile, she stood and took Shippou's hand tightly. "Come on! We have to go find Kagome." Shippou nodded in agreement and smiled as they started the trek out of the rose garden. They had been walking for almost two minutes when they saw a woman round the corner ahead of them. Thinking it might be Kagome coming to see them, they rushed at her with wide smiles. Shippou was the one to realize that something was wrong first. He gripped Rin's hand tightly and held her from going any farther as he stared at the servant's vacant eyes and tried to place where he had seen that dead look before. A shiver ran up his spine at the feeling of the tainted jewels power rolling in the air.

The realization hit him like a train and he gasped while he watched the shine of the knife glint in the sun as it was thrust toward them. Pulling Rin sharply out of the way, he turned and ran with her away from the demon woman. Bushes and thorns scraped their skins as they rounded a corner and squirmed under one of the thicker, yellow rose bushes. While the plant may be dead for the winter, the thick vines were dense enough that they hid the small children. They crouched and held their breaths, watching as the woman's feet walked past the bush and she paused. Shippou pushed his youki as hard as he could over the two of them, straining to hide them the best he could. They heard her take a deep breath through her nose to try to find them. Shippou smirked. That wouldn't work; they have been in the gardens every day since the second day of being here. Their scent was all over the gardens.

' _You'll need to try a little harder than that,'_ he thought wickedly as he tried to think of where they would go after this, because sitting still was suicide. The fox kit waited until she rounded a corner of the maze before he had to pull his youki back. He huffed a tired breath at the power it took to cover them both. He glanced back at Rin, who was clutching his sleeve tightly and staring with wide, shocked eyes out of the bush.

"Lord Sesshoumaru will save us. He always saves Rin."

Shippou nodded at her words and smiled.

' _Kagome will protect us too.'_

….

Kagome felt the flare in aura immediately. She was on her tenth scroll of Sesshoumaru's history, reading about the battle for the rights to the western lands. Despite reading for a month, she wasn't even close to halfway through all the scrolls of his clan. They were longer than she expected and the writing was small. She set the scroll down and concentrated for a moment. She had known that the aura was Shippou's, and it hadn't acted up in such an intense, desperate way since their last battle with Naraku. Worried, she set the scroll on a low table near her and walked out of the library. Worried enough that she didn't bother to put on another layer to block the cold, she walked quickly out of the castle and looked around the courtyard. Soldiers that saw her whispered to each other like teenage girls, making the black haired girl smile as she turned and headed toward the rose garden. She had been in it a few times since coming here; it was a maze of roses of all different colors and smells. She had confessed to Rin and Shippou that she didn't want to get lost in it so she had stopped going in it with them, despite Rin assuring her that she wouldn't let the miko get lost. They relented though and had found a new place to play near a large gingko tree a few hundred feet away from the thorny labyrinth. Looking at it suspiciously now, she walked in at a slow pace and tried to feel around for the children's presence.

Her feet crunched in the snow. She found them easily enough, but also felt another. It was familiar and foreign; friendly and dark. She recognized You's aura immediately, but it was being tainted by something. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Her heart jumped into her throat and in a moment she broke out in a mad dash through the thick bushes. In some places the walk way was large enough for two people to stand side by side, in others it was so narrow that you had to walk single file and you would still get snagged. Ignoring the slices in her arms, she rounded a corner into a larger area and stared in horror at the dark, sinister light emanating from her friend's throat. She wondered why she hadn't felt the power of the jewel before, but pushed the thought away as she stared in horror at the scene before her.

You was standing over the children, a large kitchen knife held tightly in her hand. Her eyes, now turned to stare blankly at Kagome, were empty and soulless. Naraku had his claws in her deep. She wondered whose blood he had tainted this jewel with. Based on the darkness of the pure jewel, she suspected that he had used his own. Growling, she ran at the girl as she turned back around. She ducked around the woman, jabbing her in the side, and stood protectively in front of the children as the little wolf gasped and coughed. A part of her felt bad for hurting her friend, but she knew that these children were her first priority. She loved them and they trusted her to protect them. So, protect them she would.

Looking back at them, she locked eyes with Shippou and he understood her thoughts immediately. Grabbing Rin's hand, he immediately turned in a large pink bubble and lifted her on top of it. Floating quickly above the garden, he landed just next to the castle entrance and popped himself. Falling to the ground first, he caught Rin carefully and immediately set her on her feet. Grabbing her hand, they ran into the castle and stopped at the hallway that led to the west wing.

"Take me to Sesshoumaru's study room," Shippou said urgently. Rin didn't say anything as she released Shippou's hand and ran in the direction of her lord's study. She was afraid, the terror still resonating through her bones and making her clumsy. She fell three times before they finally made it to Sesshoumaru's door. He already had it open when they arrived.

The demon lord took in his ward's appearance and had to work to suppress a growl. Her kimono was torn in several places and some of them bled a little. She had large tears streaming down her bright red face and her hands were shaking like leaves. He knelt down immediately and stared into her eyes.

"Rin, what has happened?"

He didn't expect the little fox kit to answer.

"A woman attacked us in the gardens. She had a knife and she was one of the servants. Kagome found us and told us to come find you. The servant, she had a jewel shard in her neck!" Shippou said frantically, as he stepped forward and grabbed Sesshoumaru's sleeve. He tugged impatiently and stared at Sesshoumaru with wide, terrified eyes.

"You have to help Kagome. If Naraku has a jewel shard in the lady that means that he can hurt Kagome!"

The demon lord was gone before he could finish the sentence. Shippou and Rin gasped for breath loudly in the silent hall for several minutes before Shippou gently touched Rin's shoulder and led her toward her room. She was still sobbing loudly. It had been so long since she had been attacked that she forgot the terror of not knowing if she was going to live. It left her shaken and scared. Shippou rubbed her back gently and tried to calm her.

"Don't worry Rin, Sesshoumaru and Kagome will be fine."

The little girl could only nod.

….

Kagome ducked under the swinging knife and punched at the woman's ribs again. The attack connected, and the demon gasped for breath, but still she remained standing. With the jewel in her, Naraku could control her even if her body was unconscious. Kagome growled and dove at the knife. It swung in a large arc away from her and before she could turn to defend, the weapon sliced easily through her upper arm. Gritting her teeth to hold in the scream, she fell to the ground and held her arm awkwardly to her body. She could feel the woman getting closer to her and summoned the strength she still had left in her bad arm to push her body to its feet. Standing, holding her arm tightly to her body, she stared at the woman. The darkness of the jewel was washing over her in waves. Her powers reached out to soothe the evil away. The miasma that surrounded the jewel fought the purity angrily and the woman howled in pain as the jewel pulsed in her throat. The knife fell from her hand uselessly and her clawed hand gripped her throat desperately. Kagome stood, looking at the woman in confusion for a moment before she realized what Naraku was doing.

Horror played out on her face as she rushed for the woman who was grasping her neck. Kagome helped the woman lay down as gently as she could without jostling her own arm. She reached under her neck and felt for the jewel gently. The panic rose in her throat quickly and threatened to choke her as she prodded for the jewel. He had buried it lethally deep in her neck. She had been set to be sacrificed this entire time. Tasked to do whatever Naraku wanted her to do and then kill her so that she couldn't relay anything she knew on the horrid demon. Panicking, she rolled the choking woman over and looked at her neck. She could see where the light of the jewel was shining from and after a split second thought, she grabbed the knife laying near her leg. Carefully, she made a small incision in woman's neck. Tossing the knife away, she plunged her finger into the incision and pulled out a bloody jewel a second later. The woman's breath stopped. As quickly as she could, she used her powers to partially close the wound, enough for her to survive. Rolling her over, she desperately started to perform the cardiopulmonary resuscitations that she had learned in school. She continued to do this for several seconds before Sesshoumaru found her.

Her face had blood smears on it and her arm was still bleeding, blood dripping down to her wrists. She was desperately kneeling over the little wolf demon and pressing on her chest, and after a few moments she plugged the woman's nose and breathed into her mouth. The snow around the two of them was stained bright red. Not understanding her actions, he walked over and touched her shoulder lightly. She looked up at him with large, horrified eyes that spilled over with tears that left dark tracks down her cheeks.

"Miko, the wolf is dead," he said simply, and internally flinched at the hitch in her breath as she sobbed. Kneeling down, he ripped off a small piece of his sleeve easily and tied it around her arm. He looked at the wolf, then to the knife lying uselessly near her, and finally at the blood soaked jewel lying near the miko's bent legs. He bent down and touched it, recoiling with a hiss when the dark aura of the hanyou touched his skin and burned it black. Frowning, he turned to the miko and his face softened. Kneeling down just as he had in front of Rin, he touched the side of her face, her cheeks were cool to the touch and flushed red. He gently grasped her chin and forced her to look at him.

"They were trying to hurt our pact, you did the right thing," he whispered, his beast pleased at his tenderness toward their future mate. Kagome swallowed and sniffed loudly, wiping her eyes and shaking her head.

"I didn't kill her. It was Naraku. He found a way to get the jewel in her and buried it so deep that I couldn't get it out. By the time I realized it, I had hit her many times, and Naraku must have known that I was going to win or something. He-He collapsed her throat with the power of the jewel and when I tried to get it out, it was too late. I tried to heal it, but it was too late…." He voice trailed off as she cried into her hands and shook. Sesshoumaru stared at her, in awe at how compassionate she was in that moment.

This woman had been weak and had allowed herself to be taken by Naraku. She had attacked their pack. Yet, Kagome still tried to heal and save her. Still in shock, he gently reached out and pulled the miko's small body to his. He held her there, in his lap for some time. Until she stopped crying and was reduced to hiccups and sniffles. Rising from his seated position, he set her down and pointedly looked at the jewel. Kagome nodded and picked it up slowly, wiping the blood from it, before her whole body when rigid and her heart squeezed painfully. Naraku snickered in her head and sneered at her.

' _Do not think you can hide from me, woman! I will come and find you, I will find the rest of the jewel and once I do, you will be mine. The demon lord cannot protect you. You are just putting off the inevitable, little miko. You will be mine.'_ As his voice disappeared, images of her next to him, chained to him, naked with him, sleeping with him; flew through her head. A hand touched her shoulder and abruptly the images were gone. Body going limp, she let out a shuttered breath before looking at the jewel.It had now purified and shone brightly in her hand. Reaching under her kimono, she pulled out a small chunk of the stone. Pressing the jewel to it, it easily fit into the rest of the jewel and the entire thing shone brilliantly for a moment before dimming into a dull pink. Tucking it back in, she looked up at the demon lord and sighed. He was staring at her curiously, wondering about her strange behavior.

"I need to have my arm stitched up," she whispered as she placed a hand over the still bleeding wound, ignoring his curiosity. She didn't want to even think about what Naraku had showed her, let alone talk about it. The adrenaline had worn off and her arm ached now from the ministrations to her wolf friend. She had ignored it before and now it came back angrily, throbbing into her shoulder and down to her fingertips. Sesshoumaru merely nodded and led her away from the gruesome scene, out of the garden. They walked for a time in strained silence, until Sesshoumaru slowly opened the door to the infirmary and led the miko in by a large hand on her back. Kagome let herself be guided to a bed that was raised up on a low table. Jumped onto it easily, she sat and leaned on Sesshoumaru, her head on his elbow. He allowed it and glanced down at her. Her scent and aura radiated despair and sadness, making his beast uncomfortable. He yearned to help ease these feelings away.

' _We will wait until she is treated,'_ Sesshoumaru said firmly. His youkai, over joyed that he was even willing to soothe her, agreed immediately and watched patiently through Sesshoumaru's golden eyes as the young healer came over and looked at Kagome worriedly. Their primary healer was a small phoenix demon with bright orange hair and piercing red eyes. Golden strips adorned her cheeks and a marigold triangle sat comfortably upside down on her forehead. Her skin held the slightest, permanent tan to it and her long hair was tied into a high ponytail that hung down her back. Her name was Haruyo, but she had always insisted on being called Haru.

She wasted no time asking questions. First, she brought a small cup filled to the brim with dark blue, watery liquid and handed it to the dazed miko. She instructed Kagome to drink all of it. Kagome obeyed and once she was done the woman took the cup from her and set it on a nearby table. Soon, a feeling of euphoria filled her veins and Kagome found that the pain was slowly disappearing. Sesshoumaru, sensing her calm down and become drowsy, looked at the healer pointedly.

"It's a mixture of ginger, mint, and the essence of poppy seed. It eases pain and causes you to sleep," she explained quietly as she made sure that Kagome was comfortable before looking at her bloody arm. She grimaced at the appendage as she peeled the stained piece of cloth off of it. It was still dribbling blood and the corners were crusted with dark, nearly black chunks where the blood had begun to dry. The woman gently cleansed and washed the wound before smearing a tincture of poppy seed on it. Slowly, the pain was replaced and numbed, just like it had been in her head. After a few moments, in which Kagome felt very little pain but a lot of tugging and pulling at her skin, her arm was sutured and she was being bandaged with soft cloth by the careful healer. Kagome found that through the haze, she liked this feisty little woman.

She had spent a little time speaking with her as they had gathered herbs. The healer confessed that she had known Sesshoumaru for a long time, since they had been children. She had been brought to the castle by Sesshoumaru's father, Inu-no-Tashio, to learn healing. He had saved her from bandits in a village on the outskirts of the western territory. She had been very frightened at first and had immediately begun to cling to Sesshoumaru where ever she went. Kagome had laughed at the story, and before she had a chance to ask more, a soldier had been injured and needed her attention. She had waved a friendly goodbye to Kagome and disappeared. She hadn't had a chance to speak with her again; and now wasn't the time either.

She couldn't pay attention as Haru and Sesshoumaru spoke, she caught a few words about being groggy and needing sleep. She also heard that there was no permanent damage to her arm. That made Kagome happy and a goofy smile crossed her face that made the fire demon laugh.

"She will be dazed for some time; the tonic I gave her was strong. It will also ease the mental pain until she's had some rest," the little phoenix explained as she cleaned the area around Kagome and put the discarded cup in a small bin of other dishes that needed to be washed. She looked back to Sesshoumaru with a sly smile that the demon lord knew all too well and he grimaced.

"Do not pry, woman," he growled as he carefully lifted Kagome with his one arm and turned to leave.

"I've just never seen you care so much," the woman said in a sing-song voice after the lord as he left the infirmary. The demon laughed musically at his old ways and went about her business.

Sesshoumaru heard the laugh through the walls and ignored it as he carried the near sleeping miko in his arm. Her head was resting against his chest and she found the steady beat of his heart calming. The images of Naraku floated lazily in her mind, but the poppy and ginger was fighting off the pain the thoughts should trigger. Kagome was thankful for this; she didn't know how she was going to sleep with the awful images of his plans for her dancing in her head. Her whole body shuttered and she felt the taiyoukai's eyes on her immediately.

"I want to see the children," she said off-handedly as she tried to turn her head and look down the hall. She knew that they were near the little one's rooms and she needed to know that they were okay. The youkai looked at the determination in her previously foggy eyes and nodded, deciding that arguing with her was a losing battle.

A few minutes later, Kagome peered quietly into Rin's room and a warm smile hit her face. She and Shippou were curled up together on Rin's tiny bed, dried tears crusted on their cheeks. The miko wiggled out of Sesshoumaru's arms. Once on her own feet, she stumbled to the side of their bed. Sinking to her knees, she brushed her fingertips along their foreheadsd and cheeks. She pushed Shippou's hair back and tucked Rin's hair behind her ear.

"I'm so glad you're both okay," she whispered, her voice slurred slightly. Satisfied that they were unharmed, she turned to Sesshoumaru and let out a small yawn. The inu taiyoukai was not surprised that she was tired; Haru had warned him that this would happen. Putting a hand on her back, he attempted to lead her toward her room. Her legs were wobbly, like wet noodles, and Sesshoumaru realized that she wasn't going to make it to her room. Lifting her up again quickly, he held her against his chest and walked brusquely toward her room. She leaned into his chest, her hands fisting the fabric of his shirt tightly. She was sick of fighting the feelings she was growing for him and the medicine made her forget any of her previous hesitation. Nuzzling his arm gently, she yawned again.

Sliding her door open slowly, Sesshoumaru found that he was unwilling to put her down. Walking more slowly to her futon, the taiyoukai set the girl down gently. He stared at her blood stained clothes, knowing that he couldn't leave her like this. He located sleep wear quickly. Changing her was a fast process that included putting the new clothing over her before pulling the soiled out from under it. Once it was tied in place, he guided her to lay down and pulled the blanket over her. He ignored the quiet protests she offered with a tiny smile before he straightened and stared at her. She fell asleep quickly, her breath steady and her scent calm. The poppy seed wafted in her smell in a slightly offensive way that the demon lord overlooked.

"Sleep, miko, you need your rest," he said quietly, his baritone voice soft and gentle as he stepped around her bed and walked out of her room.

Once in his own room, he sighed and looked out the window. The sun was low on the horizon, hugging the mountains intimately. Deciding that no more work was going to get done today, the demon lord stripped out of his day clothes and went to lie in bed. It had been a little over a week since he had slept and he knew that he would need his energy for the upcoming festivities. Sighing, he lay still under the blankets and thought about the girl in the next room. It seemed that whenever his mind had time to wander, it wandered to her. He thought of his own internal admission to his growing affection for the girl. He thought of Haru's words on never having seen him care so much for something. He wondered then if he cared more for the girl then he did for his quest for power. A few months ago, the lord had decided that his quest was complete. No lord or demon was stronger than he on his own; he did not count the vile half-breed since he was aided by the jewel.

Did he care more for the girl than he had his quest? His beast howled his own answer, but Sesshoumaru was not sure that was his. He remembered the horror that the kit had triggered in him at his frantic words about Naraku hurting Kagome. His desire for power had never been as strong as that primal urge to protect her. He wondered at the extent his affections would go. Would they eventually become the emotion of love that humans spoke of so often? He found that this idea didn't disgust him as it usually would have. The girl was strong, holding a high place in her own society. She was intelligent and feisty, knowing how to hold her own in most situations. She was caring and compassionate; she would make a good mother to any pups that she gave him.

He stopped breathing for a moment.

Pups. Any children that they would have would be hanyous. He felt an odd twinge at the thought. While he had accepted his feelings for the girl, and had decided that not all humans were a waste of air, he was not sure that he could so easily accept the idea of hanyou offspring.

' _They will be strong though. With her incredible miko powers and your youki, there is no way that they would be weak. And is that not what you detest about half demons?"_ his beast quickly supplied, fearing that he would change his mind about the girl. He was excited and happy that Sesshoumaru was finally accepting and thinking about the girl, thinking of the mate and mother she would be for him and their children. Sesshoumaru agreed with his demon, knowing that it was indeed the stereotypical half breed weakness that he was disgusted with. Inuyasha was an exception. Sesshoumaru admitted to his strength, but was irritated by his stupidity; that was why he continued to use the term half breed. He like how it irritated the boy.

Sesshoumaru realized that he was never going to get to sleep at this rate and was about to rise for a walk when he felt a familiar aura coming toward him. Confused as to what she was doing, Sesshoumaru stayed where he was and waited for the door opposite him to open. It slid open slowly, tentatively, and the girl's scent flew into the room as if part of a tornado. Sesshoumaru inhaled and basked in it as he stared with glowing eyes at the little miko walking slowly toward him. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, gripping the fabric of her yukata tightly. Sesshoumaru took a deep breath through his nose, taking in her scent. It was frightened and it was sad. Wishing to ease the pain, he didn't say anything until she was standing at the edge of his bed staring at him.

"Are you awake?" Her voice was soft and fragile.

Sesshoumaru nodded at her and, without prompting, grabbed her around her waist gently. Lifting her, he reveled in her gasp as she was suddenly on the opposite side of his large futon. Covering her in the blankets, he lay so that he was looking away from her.

"You may spend the night with this, Sesshoumaru." Many times when Rin had nightmares, she came to his room crying and asking to sleep in his room because he made her feel safe. He felt that the same strategy would work with Kagome. He was correct.

Kagome was shocked by his words, but accepted them gratefully as she snuggled under his blankets and put her hands on his back. Yawning quietly, she closed her eyes and within minutes, she was once again sleeping soundly. Sesshoumaru lay still as he listened to her breath. Rolling so that he was once again on his back looking at the ceiling, he ignored her hands as they lay on his chest and she curled closer to him. He shouldn't be surprised by this behavior. Sighing quietly, he closed his eyes and willed his thoughts on the girl next to him away. He was tired and merely wished to sleep.

Sleep didn't take long to achieve, within minutes he was sleeping lightly as well. Kagome still had her palm pressed over his heart and his fingers buried in her long, unbound hair.


	6. Chapter 6

Wakefulness came slowly to the pale demon lord. He took a deep breathe through his nose and enjoyed the scent of his bed mate. His fingers were twined in her hair and she was half lying on his bare chest. He smirked at the thought of the miko's blushing face when she awoke and found him naked. Not wanting to overwhelm the miko, especially after the events of yesterday, he slowly unwound his hand from her hair and put it behind his head. He found then that he very deeply missed his second arm right then. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to hold her, and he wanted things he had never wanted before from a woman. Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away. They only gave him a headache that he wasn't willing to live with. He was content with the fact that he had admitted his feelings for her, at least to himself. Nodding slightly, he smirked down at the awakening miko on his chest.

She mewled softly, her voice foggy and quiet as she stretched her fingers out. They brushed his face gently before burying in his hair and clutching it as her body went limp again and she started to fall back toward sleep. He held in a growl of pleasure as she gently tugged his hair. He could feel the pleasure begin to build in his belly and decided that it was time to stop this, lest he lose control of himself. Sighing at her, he gently moved her so that she was laying on her stomach cuddling into a pillow. She murmured unintelligently in her sleep for a moment before settling deep into the cushion and her breathing slowed down again. Sesshoumaru smiled faintly at her and turned to his small closet.

After a few minutes, he walked out in simple wear and his long, silky hair was loosely braided down his back. Casting one last, almost longing look at the miko in his bed, he walked out of his room to face the tedious work that the ceremony brought on.

….

Kagome rolled over and groped around for the bag that should be next to her futon. Her brow furrowed in irritation, the feeling only heightened by her grogginess and the sharp pain shooting up and down her arm. The pain in her arm confused her for a second. _'Why does my arm hurt?'_

Then it dawned on her. In painful clarity, she remembered the tear streaked of the kids. The bright red blood splattered against the snow. Gasping for breath as she desperately pressed her hands against her friend's still chest. Naraku whispering in her ears.

"No." Her voice was trembling, but forceful. She wiped away the tears dripping down her face. With a shaky breath, she sat up and rubbed her hands down her face. The urge to wail gathered up in her chest, clogging her throat. She curled her hands into fists that she pressed against her eyes. The miko desperately tried to push the images away, concentrating on the stars bursting behind her eyelids.

She blindly reached for her bag again, aiming to take some painkillers to dull the ache in her arm. Once again, she didn't feel it and annoyance radiated through her. Pulling her hand away from her eyes, she blinked and looked around the room she was in.

"Wait," she said before her mind connected the dots from last night and a bright blush spread over her face. She jumped off of the futon and stepped backwards to look around the room. The despair in her chest loosened slightly, melting away from her face as she looked around his room.

It was oddly intimate. She had always imagined that it would be as cold as he was. She had been quite wrong though. Little figurines and mementoes were lined up along a shelf and he had his own vanity with a small tray of hair ties and ribbons sitting on it. Walking slowly over to them, she touched them gently and grabbed a dark blue one. Lifting it, she touched the frayed sides of it carefully and smiled.

' _It must be old, from when he was younger,'_ she thought, enjoying the idea of him being small. She wondered if he was as reserved as a child as he was now. Letting the idea slip away, she put the ribbon back where she found it and continued to look around the room. On the wall that they shared, there was a case that held his swords on a stand and his dark bone armor sat on the self below them. She walked over and winced at Tokigin's dark aura swirling around menacingly. Upon looking away, she caught sight of the thin, rusted blade of Tenseiga. She reached out and touched the hilt gently. It hummed under her fingers and made her shutter. It was a calm power, washing over her in gentle waves. Nothing like the aggressive power that Tokigin gave off. Regardless, she pulled her hands away sharply and blinked.

Moving from the swords, Kagome turned and took in the other things around the room. There were portraits spread out along the walls; dignified pictures of dog demons. She walked along each of them, recognizing some of them from the descriptions in the scrolls she had read yesterday.

"Yesterday," she whispered, "It feels like so long ago." Again, memories of her time in the garden came unbidden. She shook her head and looked to the next picture. It surprised her; it was the portrait of a gorgeous woman. She had striking icy blue eyes, piercing straight through her. Kagome shuttered. Looking to the bottom of the picture, she was surprised to see Sesshoumaru's last name behind hers. Looking at her face again, she could see little signs of Sesshoumaru there.

"Oh. It's probably his mom," she said, her voice oddly void as she touched the woman's face gently. The miko wondered what this woman was like. The look in her eyes reminded her of the demon lord. Stepping away, tears burned her eyes.

Staring at the picture reminded her that she missed her mom dearly. She tried to swallow away the lump in her throat. Turning from the painting, she set to get ready for her day.

The day was slow and Kagome found that she was restless and irritable all day. She spent some time in the library, but the dog demon history had reached a time of peace. All the records were on babies being born and grandfathers dying. There was passages about miscarriages and untimely deaths caused by accidents, but nothing that kept her attention. She was excited to read the dates and realize that Sesshoumaru would be born soon, but that was the only real happiness that touched her today. Despite her attempts to ignore her foul mood, but she found that it was unshakable.

' _Not surprising, considering yesterday,'_ she thought bitterly.

She tried spending time with the children but that only served to sharpen her irritability to the point that she needed to leave. She didn't want to snap at them, especially considering that they had done nothing to sour her mood. The last thing she needed was to shout at one of them and consequently upset them. She sighed heavily as she found herself near her room. Deciding to take time to be alone, thinking that maybe it would calm her down; she loosened her kimono and walked into her room.

"Maybe a bath," she said thoughtfully as she slipped out of the outer layer and draped it on top of the trunk. Rolling her fingers over the knots in her neck and shoulders, she padded over to the yellow bag sitting next to her bed. Kneeling down, she dug through it for a washcloth. She enjoyed using the ones from home because they were softer and smelt like her room. Another ache stung in her soul and Kagome felt another sigh on her lips.

She had almost given up on finding her own washcloth when her hand brushed something odd. Brow furrowing, she grabbed the cylinder and pulled it from under all the clothes and medical kit.

' _I don't remember putting this in here.'_

Tears sprang immediately to her eyes as gripped the bottle of her favorite shampoo. It was lilac scented and she had stopped bringing it when they had crossed through a nesting area of butterfly and fly youkai. They had been so attracted to the sweet scent of her shampoo that they swarmed the group and suckled on Kagome's head for a good ten minutes before Inuyasha fought them all off. She'd been soaked in saliva and her hair was knotted in some places so bad that they had needed to cut them out. Kagome had sworn from that day on that she wouldn't use that shampoo anymore, for fear of losing the rest of her hair or never being able to get the saliva stench off. She shuttered and laughed breathlessly at the thought of the god awful smell. Her hands brushed the tears away from the corners of her eyes. She stood and smiled at the bottle as she thought of her mother. Her soul felt lighter, as if the dark cloud hanging over her had melted away. Squeezing it gently, she turned and walked to the bathing area to treat herself to a good bath.

An hour later, she emerged from the bath with her long hair bound up in a towel and her bare body already dried. Walking naked over to the mirror, she knelt in front of it and looked at her face. It had lost all its baby fat and blemishes in return for sharp cheekbones and creamy skin. Lifting a hand to the mirror, she touched her own reflection gently. Pulling her hand back, she shook distraction from her mind and quickly got dressed. Deciding that a new kimono was a good idea, she dug through her trunk until her hands found a dark blue fabric that she knew she had seen before. Pulling it from the trunk easily, she touched the dark silk gently and smiled at the memory of Sesshoumaru's frayed little ribbon.

Pulling on the white under layer, she cast one last look at the silk before slipped her arms into it and tying it securely with a pitch black tie. Letting her damp hair hang untied today, she cast one last look at herself in the mirror and smiled as she deemed herself presentable and left her room. Trotting happily down the hall toward the pale demon's study, determination flared in her like a fire. Her bad mood throughout the day had finally been partially explained by just a bottle of shampoo.

She missed home. The homesickness on top of the events from the previous day had weighed on her all day. Her soul still ached remembering what she'd done and Naraku's cruel whispers made her stomach turn and twist. She knew, though, that there was only one true treatment for this. She needed to go home. See her family and remember why she was here. Protecting them and the future were worth any pain or enemy that she face. She was going to go down the well whether the taiyoukai liked it or not.

Smirking at the idea of having to fight him to go home, she knocked gently on his door and waited for an almost inaudible 'enter' from the demon. Walking in, she smiled at the man and sat in her usual cushions. The demon waited for a moment as he listened to her get comfortable. Sesshoumaru glanced at her under his lashes for only a moment before looking back at the letter before him. Once he was sure that she was done fidgeting, he looked back up at her and set his pen down.

He was pleased to see that she was in high spirits. The bags under her eyes were dark though, and he could see the remnants of tears in her eyes. She was smiling though, and that helped him relaxed fractionally. Running his fingers through his long hair and flicking it over his shoulder, he eyed the kimono she was wearing a faint smile played over his lips. Deciding he wanted to see that delicate flush on her cheeks, he smirked and sat back into his cushion.

"That is a good color for you. It is the color of our pack," he said casually as he looked her up and down slowly. He was not disappointed as a pale cherry tint that filled her cheeks before she smiled shyly and fluttered her hands in front of her dismissively.

"Oh, no. I look just like anyone else would," she said quickly, laughing nervously. Sesshoumaru hummed in the back of his throat, slightly annoyed at her self-deprecation.

"What do you want from me?" he asked, his irritation shown in his voice. He saw under his lashes as Kagome's smile dropped and she started to fidget with her hands. The pinch of her brows and determined set of her mouth told him that she was going to argue with him. He growled deep in his throat to get her to continue, not surprised by the defiant look in her eyes.

"I-I want to go home," she said frankly, her shoulders squared and chin up. She sat tall and the determination was pale in her eyes. She stared at him expectantly, no sigh of wavering in her face. A part of him wanted to smirk at her determination and start a fight with her just to watch the anger rise in her. Alongside that urge, there was anger and an emotion that he couldn't place nor understand. It let a bad taste in the back of his mouth that made him want to growl. Standing from the desk, he looked out the window at the sun that was beginning to sink into the ground. He tried to rein his anger in, but it seeped easily into his words.

"You wish to leave Nishi and return to the village in Edo?" That was her home, as far as he was informed. She spent much of her time there and would return there when traipsing through the woods became tiresome. The miko had lived there for some time before striking out on her own. Was that not the definition of a home? The thought of her going back to his brother was like a brand being pressed down his throat and he felt his beast's white hot rage sizzling through his veins. He glared sideways at her and waited for her answer.

Kagome was too shocked for words. The anger, the jealousy that singed through his voice startled her. She gaped for a moment, looking like a fish out of water, before she gained her thoughts and words.

"What? No. My home. Through the well?" she said quietly, her brows furrowing as she tried to figure out why he was so angry. She knew that he was protective of his pack, which she was a part of now, but did anger and jealousy come with that protection? She pushed away the question and waited for his answer. He seemed surprised by her reply, his eyes widening fractionally before the anger returned and his eyes became hard.

"The well, do you mean the Bone Eaters Well near Inuyasha's village?" He scowled a little when she nodded, her face open and earnest. He could find no deceit or dishonesty there and that irked him further. He wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn't justify it if she was telling the truth. He ran a hand through his long hair and moved it over his shoulder as he looked over at her with indifferent eyes.

He watched Kagome nod honestly. "Yeah, the Bone Eater's Well. I jump down it and it… Well, it time travels me back to my era. I live five hundred years into the future," she explained, feeling desperate to soothe his anger and get it off of her. His youki pressing against her made her miko powers rise to the surface. She wanted to walk over and grip his wrist, feel his pulse. She resisted the urge with trembling hands and stared at him.

She wondered if he'd believe her. It was an incredibly far-fetched idea to begin with. He had absolutely no evidence that any of it was true. She started to worry is she should have just kept this a secret. She chewed her lip and waited anxiously for an answer.

He stared back and rolled her words around in his head. It sounded insane. It sounded like a blatant lie. If any other person told him this, he's behead them for lying in a second. However, this wasn't just anyone; this was Kagome. Besides, this did explain all the oddities about her, from her strange manner of dress to the odd way she talked to the very fact that she could read. Slowly, the anger built up in him melted away and he was left with burning curiosity.

"This time that you come from, what's it like? Is it different from Edo?" He knew that the inquiry had an obvious answer, but Kagome could see the underlying question in it. He wanted to know how different, in what ways, what had changed since the Edo period.

Kagome thought of the entirety of his question and sat back in her cushions and sighed.

"Well, a lot has changed. It's very different from this period, almost the exact opposite really. And there's no demons there, that I can tell at least," she said, shrugging a little as she looked at Sesshoumaru. She realized her mistake immediately.

Guilt racked her and shook her to her core. The look on his face broke her heart, even though to most there was no noticeable difference in his face. His eyes tightened and his mouth pinched. His eyes were far away. She knew exactly what he was thinkign. He was thinking of his land, his title, the heirs he would have that ultimately now, would mean nothing. And where was he?

Giving into the urge to console him, she rose from her cushion and slowly walked over to him. She gripped his hand gently, pressing his fingers against her wrist. She rubbed the thumb over the stripes on his wrist gently, hoping to help soothe him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. It was stupid of me," she whispered gently, squeezing his hand. Her thump continued to brush his stripes.

Sesshoumaru hummed in the back of his throat. "Such a fascination with this one's stripes, little miko," he said softly, his voice almost a purr. Kagome smiled softly as she retracted her hand and smiled up at him.

"To make up for my stupid mistake, how about you come with me?" she offered happily. She had relaxed, relief radiated off of her. Sesshoumaru felt a smile tug at his lips.

"I would have accompanied you to the well, regardless. You are part of my pack and I am obligated to protect you," he said quietly. He reached out to grab her hand. He cradled it between his, tracing the tip of a claw over the lines on her palm. He was tired of denying his affection for the girl. She was his and he would touch her if he wanted to.

' _It serves little purpose to continue to lie to myself,'_ he admitted as his claws ran up her wrist to the crease of her elbow. He enjoyed the scattered goose bumps that rose on her skin in wake up his touched and continued up her arm. He looked up at her face and was surprised when it was totally relax and her eyes were closed. She trusted him absolutely. A warm feeling spread through his belly and chest. It was similar to the affection he felt when he was around her, but it was _more._ More in a way that he couldn't express.

Pushing the thoughts of what the feeling may be away, he slowly pulled his claw away from her skin and stared at her round, pale face. She blinked for a moment, her eyes dazed and cloudy, as she tried to regain her sense of being. Looking at Sesshoumaru, her train of thought continued and her face brightened.

"No! I mean, you could come through the well with me and come see my home. I just need some new clothes and some medical supplies," she said her voice high and fast with excitement. "Oh, and you can meet my mom!" Her voice was so excited and her eyes for bright with happiness that Sesshoumaru realized that he was never going to be able to deny this woman anything that she truly wanted. The thought brought on a pleasant sort of exasperation. He allowed a smile to cross his face for a brief moment before it was gone.

"If you wish to go home, I will escort you there. We will leave tomorrow morning. Dress warmly, we'll be flying," he said, his voice seemingly flat. Kagome smiled though, bright and earnest.

And for a moment, she could have sworn she felt herself falling a little more in love with him.

….

Kagome woke early, much earlier than she wished she had. Distorted memories and nightmares plagued her all night, causing her to wake up gasping for breath and shaking head to toe. Groaning, she rolled over and stretched out like a cat. Letting her body fall limp, she was on the verge of falling back asleep when she remembered what they were doing today. Jumping up, she looked around and lunged at her yellow bag. Pulling it open in sheer excitement, she pulled out a pair of soft black fleece lined spandex pants and a matching long sleeved top. She crossed the room over to the trunk by the bathroom and dug out heavy, three layered yukata. Setting it all out with a matching bra and underwear, she stripped out of her pajamas and trotted to take a bath.

Ten minutes later, she came walking out with her head wrapped in a towel and her naked body mostly dry. Kneeling by the vanity, she finished drying her hair and threw the towel sloppily into a basket near the door. Grabbing a brush, she pulled it through her hair until all the knots and tangles were gone. Gathering it all up on her head, she twisted it into an intricate bun and tied it with a rubber band. Smiling at her reflection, she rose and looked out into the dark yard as the sun beams started to touch the sky with gentle fingers. The darkness melted away from the yard as bright light took its place. Blinking against the mesmerizing scene, she turned slowly and pulled on her under armor layer. Then, she pulled on thick layers of her yukata. She tied it in a tight bow behind her back. Finally, she pulled a heavy wool cloak over her body. The days were cold and the air only got colder when they were flying. Once finished, she glanced at the connecting door between her room and Sesshoumaru's.

Walking over to it— grabbing her bag along the way— as quietly as she could, she placed her hand against the wood of the door and slid it open slowly. Peaking in, she noticed that the bed on the floor was perfectly made and empty. Walking in, she turned and looked at the wall where his swords and armor should be. The case was empty. Kagome's brow furrowed as she frowned and wondered where Sesshoumaru could be. Walking out of the room, she wandered the hall pressing and retracting her reiki as she tried to find Sesshoumaru. After a few minutes, and a stop in the kitchen for an orange, she felt him in his study. Grinning that she had found him, she walked quickly toward him. She was about to open the door and smile when she sensed another in the room. Pressing herself against the wall, she strained her weak human hearing trying to figure out what was being said. Through the wood, she heard faint voices.

"The ceremony is four months away and you're leaving with that human girl for a frivolous vacation! There is too much to be done for you to be leaving the castle! Correspondences and messages to be sent, rooms to be prepared, meals planned, clothes fitted, decisions made! How can you possibly think this is a convenient time to go traipsing with that girl?" Kagome knew that she had heard that voice before, but she couldn't place where it had been.

"This is my castle, Hiyashi, remember that. I will come and go as I please. The girl is a part of our pack and she needs to return to her own home. I will not force her to stay here if she requires something from another place. And it is my responsibility to protect her. I will go with her, Hiyashi, and that is final." Sesshoumaru's voice was low and dangerous, something that she had not heard in a long time. She had gotten so used to the soft words and gentle tones that he had started using around her that she forgot that he was truly a demon, in all meanings of the word. It made her bones cold and she shuttered to her core.

"What is this human girl to you then, Sesshoumaru? You have never treated anyone else of the pack that way, never have you shown so much affection toward another person like this. What are your feelings for her? And what are they turning into?"

Kagome blushed at the implications, but blocked all thoughts as she tried desperately to hear Sesshoumaru's answer.

"That is none of your business. What the girl and I feel for one another is our business and will stay between us." His voice was pure ice and it made Kagome swallow hard. She shouldn't be listening to this. Stepping back, she was about to turn around when air made her hair flutter and the sound of the door sliding open snapped behind her.

"Eavesdropping, miko?" The voice made her shiver as she turned around and stared at the tall demon in front of her. She remembered him now, his bright eyes piercing her like a knife. They were cold and angry, holding none of the cheerfulness that they had the day that she had met him. She took a half step back in shock and slight fear, before coming to her senses and clenching her fists. Defiance was painted over her face.

"No, I came to get my _lord_ ," she threw a pointed look at Sesshoumaru, despite the fact that she wasn't mad at him, "so that we could depart for my home. Rest assured though, we'll only been gone a day or two." Her smile was innocent, and cheesy, like the girls in her high school that knew they could get away with something if they just smiled. The smile only faltered when she heard the intense growl coming from the male over her. Her fists were still clenched and she was prepared to fight.

Sesshoumaru stepped in before that was necessary.

"Hiyashi, you may go. We will speak on the impending meetings when I return," he said lowly, looking at Kagome the entire time. She let her posture relax as Hiyashi gave Sesshoumaru an incredulous look before scowling and glaring at the miko. He breezed past her without another word and Kagome let out the breath that she had been holding. She kept her eyes on Sesshoumaru until she felt Hiyashi's aura was far enough away for her to speak.

"Why are you here, miko?" Sesshoumaru's voice was still hard and angry, pointed at her dangerously. She frowned at it and tried not to glare, knowing that it would make him angrier.

"I came to get you so that we can leave. I can go alone if need be." She tried to sound forceful, rather than angry. She wanted him to know that he could stay if he needed to. Sesshoumaru sneered at her and raised his clawed hand.

"Don't be ridiculous. I am in no mood for it. It would be of no use to send you on your own, considering we've seen how well you traveled on your own before. We will depart immediately."

Kagome stared at him with wide eyes and didn't say anything as he brushed past her and disappeared down the hall. After he had left, she regained her senses and frowned deeply. She didn't want to fight him, she didn't want him to be angry at her, and she surely didn't want to have to travel with him if he was going to be a jerk. Taking a deep breath, she decided to take a page from everything she had learned with Inuyasha. She was going to put her own anger aside and just apologize. There were times when she needed to pick and choose her battles.

Turning, she walked out of the hallway and toward the entrance. She looked at Sesshoumaru's back and took a deep breath as she got close to him. Standing beside him, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Brushing her finger over his markings, she squeezed gently.

"Sorry," she whispered, "Thank you for coming with me."

He relaxed slightly, some of the tension in shoulders disappearing, He nodded slowly before turning to her and looking down at her with molten, amber eyes.

"I have no doubts about your capabilities to protect and provide for yourself," he said quietly. He squeezed her hand back tightly. Grinning at him, she stepped back and her grin turned into a bright smile.

"Time to go?" He nodded at her and within minutes, his one arm was wrapped tightly around her waist while she curled into his side. The ground passed by in a blur below them.

Nishi was in the center of the western lands, and by foot it was a two day trip to the well. However, with Sesshoumaru flying it was a three quarters day trip and they arrived just as the dark was descending over the village. They could feel her former group in the area and decided not to stay long in the well clearing. Throwing her legs over the edge of the well, she offered her hand out to the demon lord and smiled expectantly. She knew that he was skeptical of the whole process, but was pleased when he slipped his hand easily into hers and walked over to the edge of the well with her. She gave him one last smile of reassurance before she fell down into the well and a deep blue light enveloped her. Sesshoumaru hid his surprise well as he jumped gracefully in with her. The blue light was warm and inviting, and it ushered him into the time where the miko had come from.

….

Naraku watched in complete rage as Kagome fell into the well and the demon lord followed after her. He had tried to go down that well many times and been pushed away by its pure magic. Why had the dog demon been able to go back in time with the miko when he could not? Infuriatingly, she had managed to put an extremely strong barrier around the well. Only the people she allowed could pass it. Even with all his strength, the purity and power of the barrier pushed out even him.

The hanyou squeezed the jewel so hard that he thought it would shatter, but his fury was not broken by the screams of agony from within. No, he was going to make sure that the miko got what she really deserved when she came through the well next. Releasing the jewel, he let it roll harmlessly into a small dish by his side and beckoned forward the small boy sitting in the corner of the room. His eyes, wide for a moment, soon became dim and lifeless as he walked over to his lord. He knelt in front of Naraku and waited for orders.

"Kohaku, go and find Kikyou. Bring her here, tell her that I have a job for her of the utmost importance. And _don't_ allow her to say no; do not return if you don't have her with you."

Kohaku nodded blankly and stood, bowing momentarily before he left the room and went to his own a few doors down. He spent the next few minutes therapeutically put on his slayer gear. As he had grown, he had needed to have them re-fitted and re-sewn, forcing Kagura to take him to other villages to have them re-sized. He felt a twinge of loneliness and sadness swirl in his stomach as he strapped on his mask and grabbed his chain scythe.

It was time to go.

….

Inuyasha could smell them both as he raced with Kikyou on his back toward the well. They had left Kaede's village earlier that day and were just about to settle down for the night when the cool evening air had blown their scent his way. His bastard half-brother and Kagome were nearby.

"And from the looks of it, they're near the well," Inuyasha said with a confident ring in his tone. He knew that they wouldn't be able to stand each other and that Kagome would go running back home. Just as she always had with him. He felt a twinge of guilt and sadness at the thought of the old days with Kagome in the group. There had been warmth, love, and conversation back then. They had felt like a family. Now, the clay woman that he claimed to love, who was weightless on his back, sat heavily on his heart and mind. He shook his head and pressed on as Kilala carried Sango and Miroku behind him. They exchanged a glance of doubt before Miroku spoke.

"Do you feel that she is going home, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked slowly, already knowing that it was false. Even if Sesshoumaru were to abandon her or leave her behind, she would find a way to survive for herself. He had watched her grow as a person and as a fighter in the last few months of their company. He had been proud of her, proud to see her growing and getting over Inuyasha, getting over her own weaknesses. He sighed at the memories and stared at Inuyasha's back as he waited for an answer.

"Keh! Of course she went back home! Her and that bastard got sick of each other and she's running back home to cry about it. I bet in three days, she comes back and begs to travel with us again."

Again, Miroku sighed and shook his head. He knew that Inuyasha was just denying the fact that he had forever lost Kagome, and he knew that Inuyasha deeply regretted his actions. Losing someone he had loved was bad enough, but losing her to his brother was so much worse for Inuyasha. And he didn't know how to handle it except to be a jerk and expect her to come begging to him. That's the only way he was going to see things until the truth was shoved in his face. A feeling in Miroku's stomach told him that the truth would be shown to him soon. Miroku gripped Sango's hand tightly for a moment before they landed. Inuyasha was already bent down, smelling for Kagome.

"They… They were both here, not five minutes ago," he said slowly, the truth on the horizons of his mind as he touched the wood softly and bent his nose to it. "Sesshoumaru was on the lip of the well, right next to Kagome. And now…." Realization hit him hard and he took a step back from the well with wide, horrified eyes.

"She took him back to her time! How could she be so stupid?" He shouted angrily as he slammed his fists down on the wood and winced when it cracked under them. Taking another step back, he turned to look at Miroku and Sango in disbelief. "Why would she do that? What the hell is she doing?" He didn't wait for an answer before he hopped over the lip of the well and waited for the blue light to envelope him.

"OW!" His shout came from the bottom after a loud crash and a string of muttered curses. Hopping back out the well, he continued this pattern two more times before Kikyou came forward and pressed her hand to his arm gently to cease his actions. He looked down at her in shock for a moment as she stepped forward and pressed a hand to the ancient wood. The magic of it swirled under her fingertips. She was surprised when the magic pushed her away.

"It seems that she has put a powerful charm on the well. Only those that she guilds can go through the well now," she said simply, her hand unconsciously reaching out and stroking the soul collector that floated closest to her ever graceful body. She watched in amusement as Inuyasha stared from the well to her and back at the well with an expression of disbelief and pain.

"What troubles you, Inuyasha? Did you not want the girl gone so that she would no longer hinder your pursuit of Naraku? She is gone now; does it matter where she is? Whether she is with your brother or in her time, she is no longer your responsibility. Isn't that what you wanted?" she asked innocently, almost perfectly painting misunderstanding and confusion on her eternal, pale face. Inuyasha flinched at her words and his ears drooped in sadness. When she put it like that, it made him sound like a jerk. She was right though, those had been his intentions. And that meant that he had no right to be jealous or angry now. He had given her up and what she did after that was none of his business.

' _But damn! Did it need to be my brother?'_ he thought angrily. He barked out a soft, sarcastic laugh at the thought. He was angry and jealous of his brother, something he thought he would never be. It tore him up, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it now. Leaving her behind was giving her up, and she was no longer his to boss around.

He just hated who she was with no.

Sighing, he turned his back on the well and started toward the forest.

"Inuyasha, where are we going?" Sango asked, jogging after him to keep up. She stared at his back.

"To hunt jewel shards. In a few months, we'll travel to the western capital of Nishi. We'll see Kagome there. Then, we can all talk," he said, his voice and tone more mature than Sango and Miroku had ever heard it. They could also hear the sadness and loneliness there. And with him, as they walked away from their friend in the dark shadow of her reincarnation, they felt their own hearts break a little bit.

….

Kagome smiled as Sesshoumaru helped her out of the well and raised his nose to the wind. They had been in the open and now they were in a small wooden shack of sorts, and the smells coming from outside were not pleasant. Scowling down at her, he waited for her to explain the strange smells that filled the air. She sighed and tried to smile as she answered his unspoken question.

"It's a different time Sesshoumaru, I told you that. Just remember that nothing here is dangerous. If you think it is and you see me acting normally, then don't worry. This time is very different," she repeated again as she took his hand and led him up the steps of the well house and slid the door open.

It was the middle of the night here, nearly one in the morning, and the whole shrine courtyard was bathed in the silver light of the full moon. Her time had gotten a light layer of snow as well. The moonlight was bright on the snow and washed the area in black and white. Kagome smiled softly at the scene and led Sesshoumaru out of the shed and into the yard. Sesshoumaru took in the noises and smell, but also the sights of her home. This was the place that she had been raised, that she had grown and become a person. He found it oddly enjoyable to image her small, like Rin, running around this yard dressed in childish dresses and kimonos. He smiled softly in the moon bathed darkness before his eyes caught a sight he didn't expect to see.

He released the girl's hand and walked slowly over to the ancient tree standing proudly in the middle of the yard. Kagome watched him go with a sad expression as she followed him, and put a hand on his back gently.

"It is the only thing of then that survived, besides the well. The Goshinboku is strong and resilient, it refused to die. Even when your time was being threatened by utter destruction, it lived and served to connect me to the past, to your present. It saved me, just like the well," she said softly as she reached her own hand out and touched the rough bark gently. The power, ancient and steady, was strong beneath her fingers and made her hum softly. She ran her fingers down the trunk of the tree for only a moment before withdrawing her hand and smiling fondly up at the branches of the tree.

"When I was young, probably six or seven years old, I wanted to climb this tree more than anything in the world. Grandfather told me not to though, that this was just as much an ancient relic to be preserved as the ones he collected. I begrudgingly agreed for a long time before finally one day, the urge called to me so strongly that I couldn't deny it. I snuck into the yard while Grandpa was with visitors and I started to climb the tree. I made it a fair way up until I heard his yell at me from across the yard.

It startled me and I lost my footing. I fell from the tree and landed on my back. My mother told me later that I should have died, that she thought I had. I had split my head open and my back was broken. I wasn't moving at all. She said that while she was holding me, my back healed and my head wound closed. My back was stiff, but no longer broken. I could move, and talk, and walk. I had a little bit of memory loss, but she said that was typical of hitting the ground so hard. She said she was just thankful that I was alive.

From that day on, she knew I was different, special, and that I had unknowingly called on the powers of the tree to save me. She said, "The fates have something great planned for you, dear. You were not meant to die that day, and the tree saved you because it knew of your destiny." For a long time, I laughed at her and told that it was crazy. I didn't have my own explanation for what had happened, but hers just seemed too crazy.

Looking back on it now, I know that she was correct. It was this tree that Inuyasha was pinned on. It was this tree that connected me to your era when Hyouga threatened to destroy it. This tree saved me because it knew that I was needed for later. That I had a purpose that only I could fulfill," she turned to Sesshoumaru, her smile was ghost-like in the moonlight, so captivating that Sesshoumaru almost gasped, "That's what my mom would say, at least."

She didn't know why she had told Sesshoumaru that story. Part of her felt the need to share some of her own history since she was reading his, but another part of her just wanted him to know her. To know where she had come from and what had shaped her into who she was now, standing in front of him. That was the whole point of bringing him here, to show him who she was. She smiled at the idea of him getting to know her and took a step toward him.

Standing on her tip toes, she kissed his cheek gently. She had wondered about her place in the past for a long time. Wondered why she had been chosen by the gods to fight this battle. She always knew that she was meant to kill Naraku, but there had to be more to it. There was no guarantee that Naraku would have gained the power her had if she hadn't broken the jewel. So, maybe, another part of her destiny was to be with Sesshoumaru. To find a place in his pack and slowly fall in love with him. It hadn't been planned. She hadn't meant to get this close to him. She was though. And standing with him, here and now, felt right.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her, his eyes sliding shut in content as she stood high on her toes and kissed his cheek gently. He had taken many lovers in his many years of life, but never had he been with a woman as tender and gentle as the one before him. The demon lord felt affection for her that he hadn't ever dreamed of feeling for someone. He trusted her, beyond a doubt, in a way that he never had before. In this moment, standing with her in a time that he'd never dreamed existed, he realized that this was what he was searching for. His drive for power had led him to this small miko, because she was the person meant to make him stronger. He remembered his father's words the night of his death.

' _You were right, father.'_

Their faces were centimeters apart, their noses touching gently and their lips barely touching at all. He could taste her, and feel her, and feel everything that was her. And his resolve was gone.

He pressed his mouth hard against her before feeling her recoil.

"Ow." Her lip was swollen immediately and blood dripped down the curve of it. Guilt rushed through him.

She was waving her hand and chuckling nervously. "It's alright. It's not that serious." Put her sleeve over it, still smiling in embarrassment. He reached a hand out and pulled her hand away from her face.

"Hold still," he said softly as he flicked his tongue out over her bottom lip. It took all his strength and control not to take her mouth again when she gasped and her warm breath fluttered over his skin. He licked her lips twice more before pulling back and swirling her taste around in his mouth. Her scent did not do her any justice. Her blood was sweet and tangy, awakening a primal urge in the demon lord. He willed the feeling away while he watched her blush red and dab at her mouth. He expected nervous eyes and embarrassed rambling. He got something much more pleasing. A soft smile and a hand gripping his.

"Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

Morning came much too quickly for Kagome and she groaned into her down pillow. Snuggling closer, she had every intention of falling back to sleep. Nightmares of Naraku still plagued her dreams and had her waking in cold sweats often through the night. She was a second from sleep when she realized that something wasn't right. She cracked her eyes open quickly, glancing around at her room. Seeing the walls of her home, a smile spread over her face. She sat up slowly, stretching her arms high over her head. Her arm ached dully. Despite the fact that her miko powers advanced her healing, the slice in her arm still hurt. Knowing that she needed to at least remove the stitches, she stretched once more and yawned.

Turning to get off her bed, she froze in place. Sesshoumaru was sitting on her floor, his knees bent toward his chest and his one arm draped over them casually. His head was bent back and his eyes closed, though his face was alert and Kagome could tell he was awake. Knowing it was rude to keep him waiting her, she glanced at the still unmoved Sesshoumaru before rising and padding over to her dresser. She pulled out all new clothes, enjoying the smell of their laundry detergent, before she walked out of her room and toward the bathroom.

It didn't take her long to change out of her soft night clothes and into jeans and a T-shirt. Winter had just set in here as well and the chill in the air chilled her to her bones quickly. Shuttering, she brushed her teeth quickly before walking out of the room and back to her own. She braided her hair as she walked, thinking about what they were going to do with the day. Back in her room, she pulled out a plain hoodie and tugged it over her head. She glanced at Sesshoumaru. He hadn't moved an inch.

Walking over to him, she knelt in front of him and tentatively reached out her hand to touch the demon's cheek. He caught her hand easily and smirked at her before opening his eyes.

"Good morning, miko," he said quietly as he released her hand and stared at her slightly flushed face. She jumped back and half-heartedly glared at him.

"You shouldn't scare me like that," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You should ask before you touch someone," he fired back easily, a smirk playing on his lips as her glare intensified.

"Well, come on, I have to go shopping for a few things today. We'll eat with my family tonight and we might stay tomorrow. I haven't decided yet," she said as she offered her hand to help him up without thinking. He stared for a long moment and just as she was pulling her hand away, he gripped it carefully. She didn't really pull him up so much as he stood up on his own. He glanced at their linked hands for a split second before letting go. Looking at her expectantly, he was surprised by her look of annoyance. Before he had a chance to ask, she reached out for his hand again and held it tightly. She nodded once and turned to pull him along with her. He followed her without a word down the stairs to the small tea area she had showed to him last night, and into the kitchen.

There, a human woman in her mid-forties stood with her hair tied back in a small ponytail and a crème apron wrapped around her upper body. When they entered the room, Kagome released his hand and walked over to her as the woman turned around.

The resemblance between the two was shocking and Sesshoumaru knew immediately that this was the girl's mother. He watched impassively as they hugged and offered short greetings to one another before Kagome caught her mother eyeing Sesshoumaru curiously.

"Oh, how rude. Sorry, mama, this is Lord Sesshoumaru of the western lands. He'll be staying while I'm here. He's Inuyasha's half-brother," she introduced as she grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand and pulled him forward. He followed without protest and bowed briefly in response when the older woman bowed low.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lord Sesshoumaru, my name is Himeko Higurashi. Thank you for taking my daughter under your protection." She bowed respectfully one more time. "Now, what do you like to eat? I'll make it for dinner tonight," she said happily as she wiped her hands once on her apron and turned to continue making a small lunch. He peered at it curiously before switching his gaze to Kagome. She had followed his eyes and smiled as she answered his unspoken question.

"It's for my little brother, Souta. He's twelve." Sesshoumaru nodded at her explanation and looked around the strange room that they were in. Kagome had explained that it was a kitchen, and he had scoffed, this looked little like a kitchen to him.

He watched now, in ill-concealed awe, as the woman moved about the kitchen and cooked. She turned a dial and fire was instantly there. Turning another knob, she called water from a pipe and filled a strange, ill smelling vessel with it before turning the water off and putting the vessel over the instant flame. He vaguely noticed that Kagome was no longer in the room, but was too amazed by the technologies of this era to wonder where she was. He watched as she continued to bustle around the kitchen and was about to leave when she stopped and stared at him.

"Uhm, Lord Sesshoumaru, will you get the vase on the top of the shelf. I stored it up there to get it out of the way without thinking about needing it again," she asked kindly as she wrung her hands on her apron. Sesshoumaru quirked a brow at her before walking over and easily grabbed the glass vessel from the top of her cabinets. Handing it to her carefully, he watched as a bright smile crossed her slightly wrinkled face. It was strikingly like Kagome's, yet it lacked the fire and passion behind it. This woman's was weighted by ancient grief and loneliness. Sesshoumaru wondered idly what had caused such emotion in her, but didn't have time to think about it much before Kagome re-entered the room with a bag slung over her arm and a set of keys in her hand. She smiled at her mother and half hugged her gently.

"I'm taking Sesshoumaru shopping in town, mama. But," she paused for a moment and looked Sesshoumaru head to toe sideways, before continuing, "He can't go out like that. Could I… Borrow some of Dad's clothes?"

The sad silence that hung in the air was thick and almost uncomfortable for the taiyoukai. Kagome's mom broke it with a breathless laugh and wiped her hands on her aprons self-consciously. She walked quickly out of the room and down a hall that Sesshoumaru hadn't been down yet. Kagome watched after her with sad eyes, chewing on her bottom lip gently. Turning to Sesshoumaru, she tried to smile but it came out all wrong so she let it go. Rubbing her hands together for a moment, she shook her head and looked at Sesshoumaru again up and down.

"Is there any way for you hide your markings? Your hair won't be a problem; I might have to tie it up though. And you need to be careful with your claws, unless you can fix those too," she said quietly as she reached her hand out and touched his wrist gently. Kagome smiled softly. She pulled her hand back quickly when her mom returned with a shirt and a pair of pants. Behind her, Souta walked in holding a dusty pair of shoes and yawning. Kagome walked over and ruffled his hair, smiling a little more when he smiled up at her in excitement.

"Sis! You're home. It's good to see you. Who's this? And where's Inuyasha?" he asked excitedly as he set the shoes on the table and hugged her. Sesshoumaru stiffened at the name of his younger brother and flexed his hand tightly. Kagome noticed and smiled reassuringly, trying to calm him.

"This is Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's brother. Inuyasha couldn't come this time, sorry," she turned to Sesshoumaru with a bright smile and guided her brother forward gently. "Sesshoumaru, this is my brother, Souta."

Souta threw his hand out politely and held it in the air until Sesshoumaru clasped it, careful of his claws, and shook the tiny human hand once before letting it go. Souta smiled and turned to Kagome.

"I'm going to school, with you be at dinner?" He asked hopefully. Kagome smiled affectionately at the smaller boy and nodded. He nodded back and walked around her to the counter. Grabbing his lunch, he kissed his mother on the cheek and left for school. Kagome watched him with a smile before turning to Sesshoumaru and handing him the clothes her mother had brought down.

"Change into these, and these, then meet me in the kitchen. We have to go to the grocery store and the pharmacy."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply as he walked back up the stairs to her room. Out of the corner of his eye, he say something sparkle in the living room. Walking back down the stairs, he walked slowly toward the small alter that was in the far right corner of the room. Kneeling, he stared at the photos that sat side by side. One was of a young man, handsome for a human, smiling through the glass at him. The other was of an elderly man who was caught between a grimace and a smile. He was in traditional shrine keeper garbs and holding a paper sutra. Incense had been freshly burned and some of the smoke still hung in the air. A small flower for each of the men was in a small basin of clear water. In front of the alter, there two small urns sitting side by side, one in front of each picture. Sesshoumaru could assume that the elderly man was the grandfather that Kagome had been speaking of, however, didn't know who the younger man was.

Sesshoumaru stored the question for later as he stood and used his demon speed to change where he was. Spreading his youki over his body, his long silver hair bled a deep black and his stripes and markings disappeared slowly. His claws would not dull unless down manually, and he had no desire to do that, so he left them as they were.

Walking back into the little kitchen area with his regal clothes neatly folded in his hands, he looked to where Kagome was standing beside her mother, both their backs to him. They were talking quietly as they peeled small potatoes over the skin and Kagome gently nudged her mother with her elbow. They laughed for a moment before Kagome turned around and looked at Sesshoumaru with soft sad eyes. He took in the split second that her eyes widened in shock before understanding settled in them and she smiled. Finishing the potato in her hands, she set it in a large bowl and set the other device in the strange basin that the water poured into. She kissed her mom's cheek gently before she walked over to Sesshoumaru with a small smile.

"Good job on the cover up, I'm impressed," she said pleasantly as she looked him up and down. He quirked a brow at her and his look was haughty. Rolling her eyes at him, she nodded toward the door. Grabbing her keys and purse off the table, Kagome waved one last goodbye to her mother before they left the house.

Walking across the chilled yard, they started to descend down long flight of stairs that led up to the shrine in comfortable silence. They had to go to the bottom because that's where their garage was. It was a pain, but her mom had always reminded her that it was good exercise. She chuckled at the memories before she glanced back at the black hair fluttering in the wind and smiled.

"I like the silver better," she said casually as she reached the bottom and went to the right. The garage was padlocked and it took Kagome a moment to unlock it. Walking in, she unlocked the family car and glanced at Sesshoumaru. He stared at the car with easily read mistrust. Kagome laughed and walked over to him and patted his hand gently.

"It's a vehicle, runs on oil and gasoline. You turn it on and steer it and it takes you places," she explained. Sesshoumaru glanced at her, disbelief dancing in his eyes, before he took a few cautious steps toward the strange metal contraption. Kagome laughed at him and closed her door. Relocking the car, she grabbed his hand and led him out of the garage.

"Maybe the car is a little too much to take in this visit, since it is the first, so we'll walk instead. It isn't that far," she said with a smile and a soft laugh as she padlocked the garage once more and grabbed the icy demon's hand. Walking away from the stairs and the forgotten car, with her hand locked in his, she smiled happily. Sesshoumaru glanced down at her with unreadable eyes before he smirked and squeezed her hand.

"So, this is the first of other visits?" he asked casually. This place made him oddly relaxed, he had no title here and no one was looking up at him. He had no reason to remain as reserved as he normally would, so he wouldn't. He allowed himself to relax and enjoy being with the miko. She looked up at him with mischievous eyes and a playful smile. He enjoyed the flush that the cold brought to her cheeks.

"Of course! You can't expect this to be my last visit. And if you insist on following me to protect me, then you'll have to come with me every time. Which means yes, you will be visiting again," she said confidently as she stopped walking.

Sesshoumaru took this moment of pause to look around the large village they were in. They were surrounded by tall structures and there were humans everywhere. Of all shapes, and sizes, and ages. They walked and stood with each other, in singles, couples, and small groups. The tall buildings were made of strange metals and glass that shone bright in the sun. The strange vehicles that Kagome had almost taken filled the streets and emitted irritating, screeching noises when moving around. He had yet to find a pattern to the noises. The only thing that bothered him more than the sounds was the smell. Everything smelled like toxins and poison, just as bad as Naraku's miasma. This smell was much less potent, however, more of horrible aftertaste than the actual taste. He found that after a little while, he was able to ignore it.

Kagome watched his molten eyes flicker around and smiled at him. He was behaving surprisingly well. She had expected him to get annoyed and hurt someone. The fact that he hadn't was definitely a welcome and pleasant surprise. What wasn't a surprise was the sheer number of people staring at them; Sesshoumaru in particular. It didn't both her all that much, she knew that Sesshoumaru was attractive and had expected some stares. She stole a glance up at his face, taking in his blank expression. Something was missing and it took her a moment to realize that it was the lack of markings. When they stopped for the cross light to turn green, she reached her hand up and gently touched his cheek. His eyes immediately went to her and softened at the pout on her lips.

"I miss the markings too," she whispered as she looked back to the light as people around them began to move. Sesshoumaru smirked a little and chuckled.

"You have shown quite a fixation with my markings. Why is that?" he asked as she began to walk again and he walked alongside her. People moved around them, but Kagome hardly noticed them. Finally, she looked up with an envious look in her eyes and a glare.

"I don't have them. I kind of wish I did, and claws and fangs. People see me as a human and assume I'm weak. Even when they find out I'm a priestess they assume that I can't defend myself. In some cases, it's _because_ I'm a miko. Maybe if I was a little more menacing looking, people would take me seriously," she said with a shrug. Then, she looked at him with a little, shy smile and added, "That, and they're uniquely yours. From all the demons I've seen in Nishi, I've never found any with the same as yours. Not even Hiyashi has ones similar to yours."

Sesshoumaru nodded after a moment and released her hand to touch his face gently. He smiled at a long forgotten memory and let his hand fall. Kagome watched this with mystified eyes, but the look in Sesshoumaru's made her stop herself from asking. Shaking her head, she smiled and stopped walking.

"First, the pharmacy."

The automatic doors opened with a mechanic whir and Sesshoumaru was immediately assaulted by the strange smell of foreign herbs and an odd, toxic smell. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and looked down at the little human next to him. She smiled and grabbed a strange, green basket and walked away from him. He walked slowly after her, eyeing all the white bottles lining the shelves. Picking up one of them, he smelled it carefully and tried to place the strange material it was made out of. Giving up, he placed it back in its place and continued to look around the store that Kagome had taken him into. He noticed that some of the bottles were filled with little round objects that he didn't know the name of, others with strange liquids that smelled awful. He could recognize some of the medications. Fish oil was in little capsules, they had used it in his time to relieve the burn of a fire. He suspected now that perhaps that was the improper use seeing as the bottle read 'FISH OIL CAPLETS: LOWERS YOUR CHOLESTEROL'. The demon lord wondered for a moment what this cholesterol was, but brushed the question away as he set the bottle down and looked at the miko coming toward him. She had a basket filled with bottles and a few strange tubes of things. She had a cheery smile and bright eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked happily, the basket slung casually over her arm. Sesshoumaru eyed the things in her basket and then touched it gently.

"What is this made of?" he asked curiously, as he ran a claw over the material gently. It cut and flaked the green material easily. Kagome watched and swatted his hand gently, her face kind of stern. He growled low in his throat and clenched his fist, his knuckles popping menacingly. Kagome squared her shoulders and pointed her own menacing finger at him.

"Oh no, you don't. This isn't mine and if you break it, I have to pay for it. Now, it's a sort of flimsy material called plastic. It's man made," she explained as she shifted the basket out of his reach and turned her back to him. "C'mon, we have to pay for this and then go to the grocery store. Since you never told my mom what you wanted, I'm just going to get some stuff so that she can make her hot pot." With that, she walked to a low counter and set her basket on it. A bored looking, teenage human took the bottles and tubes from the basket and ran it over a strange machine that flashed a red light over them before beeping. Sesshoumaru twitched after the third beep and Kagome patted his hand gently below the counter before giving the teen the correct amount of money and grabbing the bag filled with her purchases. After a moment, and a short string of curses from the teen, she was giving her change and they departed from the pharmacy.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through another set of doors into a large building filled with food and the same plastic that the basket had been made out of. He watched large versions of these plastic baskets roll around as people pushed them. He didn't ask this time and just followed Kagome as she grabbed another basket, this time it was red, and walked down the aisles. She grabbed strange boxes made of what smelt like heavy paper. She grabbed strange cylindrical vessels made of a metal smelling material. He didn't ask what she was buying or what it was made of because he didn't really care, he just enjoyed watching the look on her face when she held a product and tried to decide if she wanted it or not. Eventually, she would either throw it into the basket among other things or replace it back on the shelf. After about half an hour, she put the basket on a strange moving platform and another person at the end of the moving strip shone another red light over the products and it beeped each time again. Sesshoumaru sighed and ignored it as Kagome smiled at him apologetically and paid this cashier as well. Grabbing as many bags as she could, she turned to Sesshoumaru with pleading eyes. He smirked at her, and took a few of the strange bags in his hands. He knew it was worth it to help when he looked at her breathtaking smile.

It took them half an hour to get home and they chatted pleasantly the entire way. By the time they arrived, Kagome realized she had never heard him speak so much, and she had never heard him talk so openly. He chuckled and he smirked, he poked fun at her and talked seriously, deeply, in a way that she had never thought possible for the demon lord. It made her smile, and her heart fluttered when he looked at her.

Upon returning home, she opened the door and was hit by the smell of cookies in the oven. Sighing in heavenly bliss, she walked into the kitchen and put the plastic bags on the kitchen table. She gave her mother a hug before telling her of their adventures in the city. Himeko nodded at her daughter's words but looked out of the corner of her eyes and watched the way the demon lord stared at his daughter. She smiled knowingly before returning her eyes to her oldest child and patting her arm.

"Sounds like fun, dear. I'm just glad that it didn't rain today," she commented as she pulled open a strange contraption that heat swelled out of. Sesshoumaru looked at it and decided that he knew what it was. It was a fireplace; he could smell the cookies baking from within it. An odd sense of pride swelled in him that he was able to decipher the use of one of the girl's future devices. He smiled a little and hid it when said girl turned to him.

"Let's go upstairs and get everything ready. We're going to leave tomorrow morning, after breakfast." With that, she grabbed one of the bags from the group and carried it up the stairs. From the sound of liquid sloshing and little capsules rattling, he was sure that the bag was from the first strange store that they had been at.

"Miko, that first place that you took me, what was it? What did it sell?" he asked, realizing he had never figured it out. Kagome looked back at him in confusion for a moment before she laughed and opened her door. Emptying the bag next to her large yellow one, she balled up the strange material and tossed it into a small bin. She answered as she sorted the bottles into unknown categories.

"It was a pharmacy, a place where healers sell their medicines and treatments and tinctures. You see, in this time, doctors and healers have found ways to isolate the herbs and medications that heal certain illnesses and diseases, and then they condense them into pills," she held up a bottle filled with the little capsules, "and liquids," she held up a bottle of bad smelling liquid them before tossing it into a small bag's only pocket. "I find that bringing my own medicine gives me a better chance to heal myself and others." She shrugged as she read another label before throwing it into the same pocket. Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding as he went and sat in the chair and stared at her.

"Miko, may I now change out of these cloths?" As soon as Kagome nodded he was back in his original clothing and his markings bloomed back on his face. He sighed, almost happily, and flicked his silver hair over his shoulder. Kagome smiled and once she had finished putting mediations and bandaging in the medium sized box, she pushed it into her large yellow bag with some of her clothes. It was quiet in her room for a little while before she set her packed bag on the floor and turned to Sesshoumaru. He was staring at her patiently; the clothes had been wearing folded neatly on the desk beside him. With a sad smile, she grabbed them and was about to leave the room with them when Sesshoumaru's voice stopped her.

"Whose clothes are those?"

Kagome stood at the door with her back to her room and took a deep breath before she answered.

"They're my father's." Kagome turned and held the clothes gently, like they were the most precious thing that she had ever laid her hands on. Sesshoumaru watched this with a strange expression.

"Is he the young man who is in the picture on the small butsudan in your living room?"

"Yeah, he passed away when I was seven years old. He got hit by a car on the way to work one morning," she said, careful to keep her voice detached as she moved her hair out of her face. Sesshoumaru looked at her and after a moment nodded before he turned his eyes to the window and looked away from her. He listened as she left and waited for her to come back.

It didn't make sense to him why she would be even remotely attached to something that belonged to her deceased father. His father had died and the only reason he had ever gone after anything of his father's was because he didn't think his whelp of a brother deserved it. Though, he'd be lying if he didn't appreciate the sword his father had passed down to him. As much as he's hated tenseiga upon receiving it, he had learned the advantages to having such a weapon.

He turned to look at her when she entered and enjoyed that a smile had returned to her face. She was holding a small pile of clothes that she set on the end of her bed before she fell onto it with a heavy sigh. Rolling over on her side, she propped her head up with a hand and stared at the demon lord.

"Can I brush your hair?" she asked suddenly. Sesshoumaru quirked a silver eyebrow at her as curiosity about her question filled his mind.

"Why do you wish to brush my hair?" He was amused by her inquiry; it wasn't something he expected to hear from her. In demon society, it was normal for two mates to brush each other's hair. It built trust and brought the two closer together. It was unusual for two non-mates to do such with one another. His beast surfaced for what seemed like the first time in days.

' _She is our future mate, so it is acceptable for this to happen,'_ his voice was oddly stern and left no room for argument. Sesshoumaru, wishing not to argue, agreed with his beast as he waited for the miko's response. She was blushing madly at the realization of what she had asked and she fumbled for a good answer.

"Well, it looks soft and I imagine that it must be hand to brush it on your own since it's so long," she blurted out frantically. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings. "I mean, I just, I just want to."

Sesshoumaru felt his beast's joy fill him, and realized after another moment that he was happy too. It was nice to know that the miko found him enjoyable to look at. After a moment, he nodded at her and watched her sigh in relief. She was glad he hadn't been offended by the question and jumped off her bed and scrambled to her dresser to grab a hair brush.

Pointing at the foot of her bed, she sat behind him and slowly ran the brush through his hair. She smiled softly and they settled into a comfortable silence. She giggled under her breath when she heard the content purr rumbled through his body and vibrate against her knees where they touched his back.

"Miko, I am curious about something," he said through growls as she set the brush down and moved away from him. She hadn't wanted to stop, but she knew that dinner was going to be soon and she didn't want her mother to come in and see them like that. She would jump to conclusions that weren't true and that was the last thing Kagome wanted. As much as Kagome loved the demon in front of her, she knew that they would never be able to be together. She was destined to be at his side, but she knew that it would never amount to a mating. As well as the fact that he was all about the preservation of his bloodline. Kagome didn't want her mother getting her hopes up. Just like she was trying not to get her hopes up. She knew that it was too late though. With a sigh, she slid off her bed and tried to smile.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you choose to live with me? There are so many conveniences in this time that my time cannot offer you. Why would you choose to live in my time?" He was honestly confused by this. Why someone would leave this time was beyond him. Most diseases could be treated and water and fire were on hand at any moment that one would want it. What did his era possibly offer her?

Kagome was slightly taken aback by his question. She thought about the best way to answer before a ghost of a smile touched her lips and she shrugged.

"It's clean there. I can see the stars there. And, I have to work there. I have to earn what I want and people need me there," she smiled a little wider at the thought of the era she loved and shrugged again, "I'm destined to be there." _'And you're there,'_ her mind whispered softly, before Kagome shut the little voice away and mentally slapped herself for even thinking that. She stared innocently at Sesshoumaru as he processed her answer and tipped his head to the side. Then, he nodded as he accepted her answer. Kagome was about to ask what he thought of this era when her mother's voice floated up the stairs.

"Kagome, it's time for dinner!"

Kagome smiled and seized Sesshoumaru's hand as she dragged him down the stairs and to the table. The smell of warm broth and ginger swam around the air and Kagome could feel herself drooling as she sat at the table and patted the seat next to her. Sesshoumaru took it gracefully and looked at the meal before him. It smelled delicious. He picked up a thin slice of beef and dipped it into the hot pot. It was as good as it smelt. Kagome glanced out of the corner of her eye and smiled when she saw him eating. Relaxing, she started to eat as well.

Dinner went well, the conversation and food was pleasant and Kagome was happy when her mother talked to Sesshoumaru and he talked too. Once it was over, Kagome offered to help her mother clean the dishes and she smiled at Sesshoumaru.

"You can hang out in my room if you want," she offered lamely, smiling apologetically as she gathered the bowls off the table and set them in the sink. Sesshoumaru merely nodded and walked up the stairs to her room. Kagome watched him go with a smile before turning to her mother and handing her the leftover food. As her mother portioned it all into plastic containers, Kagome ran the hot water and started to pour soap on a sponge.

"I see the way you guys look at one another, you know," Himeko said casually as she snapped a lid on a container and slipped it into an open space in the refrigerator. Kagome, startled by the statement, dropped a dish into the soap water and let out a tiny yelp when soap and water splashed her. Grabbing a towel, she wiped the sudsy liquid away as she stared at her mother.

"Excuse me?"

Kagome's mother gave her a knowing smile before she dug a dish out of the water and started to clean it. "I see the way you two look at each other. The affection there, I can see it growing into love. He looks at you with such tenderness and devotion, I'd be surprised if he didn't already love you," she explained as she rinsed the dish and set it on the drying rack. Kagome looked at her mother out of the corner of her eye as she returned to her half of the sink and sighed.

"Mom, that's crazy. There's no way that he likes me like that. He's so-so… royal and besides, he doesn't date humans," she said as she set a few glasses on the rack and started on a large dinner plate. Her mother chuckled at that and shook her head.

"Dear, social status means nothing when it comes to love. You should have seen the way that your father's family reacted to his marrying a shine keeper's daughter," she looked at her daughter with sparkling brown eyes, "Just wait and see." Kagome sighed at her mother's words and half smiled.

"Whatever you say, mom," she said as she dried her hands and smiled at her. "I'm going to go and get some sleep; we're leaving tomorrow after breakfast. I know it's a short visit, but a big event is happening in Nishi for Sesshoumaru and he really needs to get back home." Her mother nodded understandingly before hugging her daughter.

"Don't give up before you even try, dear. Give him time to understand his own feelings, because I know they're there," she pulled back and winked, "Mother's intuition." Kagome laughed at her mother's words and nodded.

"Okay, mom," she said before she turned and trotted up the stairs. Entering her room, she looked around and tried to find the silver demon lord. Brows furrowing, she walked over to her closet and peaked inside. Not finding him, she huffed and pouted.

"Sesshoumaru, where are you?"

"Right here, miko." Kagome jumped out of her skin and screamed quietly when the demon lord was suddenly next to her. Heart racing, she put a hand on her chest and looked at the demon lord angrily.

"What did I say about scaring me like that?" she demanded as she stood up on shaky legs. Sesshoumaru raised an amused brow at her and chuckled.

"I don't remember such an interaction," he said innocently as he took an intimidating step forward. He raised a clawed hand and touched her cheek gently. Beneath her soft skin, he could feel her pulse beating frantically and he smiled. Kagome looked up at him with wide eyes, a light blush lingering on her cheeks.

The demon lord leaned down purposefully, maintaining eye contact the whole time. Kagome felt her breath hitch the closer he got. She raised small hands touch his neck, fingers pressed gently under his jaw. She could feel his heartbeat, deep and steady. She closed her eyes when their lips were touched. Her hands moved up and buried in his silky hair. His arm curved around her waist, gripping her sides almost hard enough to bruise. He was more careful kissing her this time, not wishing to hurt her with his fangs again. He allowed himself to be melted in the kiss, enjoying the feeling of her weight against him. Kagome's short nails scraped lightly against his scalp, pulling his hair gently. A deep growl rumbled through his chest; Kagome felt it against her chest and shuttered as well.

Sesshoumaru pulled away first, pressing his forehead against hers. Short, quick gasps fanned against his face. Kagome hadn't realized she'd risen onto her tips toes until she felt the slight burn in them. She sunk down slowly, tipping up her chin to look at him.

"We seem to be doing that more and more often," she said quietly, a small smile gracing her lips. She reached out and touched his strips carefully, smiling as he turned his face and kissed her palm. She giggled and pulled her hand back and ran it through her hair.

"I'm going to take a bath and then we're both going to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll eat a quick breakfast and then go back," she smiled playfully, "And then we can work on the ceremony preparations." Sesshoumaru growled at her in a half threat. He had spoken to her multiple times about how tedious the entire ceremony was. The miko smirked at him, sticking out a tongue cheekily.

She brushed past him quickly, not giving him time to answer before entering her bathroom and preparing for a nice, long bath.

An hour later, Kagome entered her room with a towel wrapped around her head and light blue pajamas on. Her body was relaxed, warm, and noodley. All the tension had been melted away, leaving her feel like she was made of jello.

She had removed the stitches before her bath and re-bandaged the injury in clean gauze. She turned her back to the mirror and stared at the bright pink scars along her back. They were still sensitive and easily irritated when touched. All in all, they'd healed very well though.

Ruffling her hair in the towel one last time, she tossed it into her laundry bin and looked at the demon sitting cross legged on her floor. She smiled at him and yawned quietly. Flopped unceremoniously onto her bed and wiggled under her blanket. Once settled, she stared at his unmoving face.

"Do you ever sleep, Sesshoumaru?" she asked. Her voice was sleep and slow. Sesshoumaru turned his head to stare back at her and smirked.

"Of course I do, I have to survive. Just like any creature," he said arrogantly as he closed his eyes again.

"Do you want to sleep up here?" she asked. She didn't want another night of nightmares. Sleeping next to Sesshoumaru had worked once and she was willing to bet that it would work again. She needed a good night's sleep and the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Sesshoumaru definitely wasn't something she was going to object to. She squirmed over so that her back was against the wall, patting the space next to her twice. Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing that he couldn't deny this woman was she wanted, and rose in a swift movement. He carefully removed his boots and armor. He rested his swords within reach next to the bed.

Throwing the blankets back for him, she cuddled into her pillow as he settled himself in her bed and she pulled the covers back over him. She smiled tiredly and settled into her blankets with a heavy, sleepy sigh.

"G'night, Sesshoumaru," she slurred as the heavy fog of sleep settled over her. The demon lord smirked at her and brushed her hair gently out of her face.

"Good night, little miko."

….

Kagome woke slowly, the dull sun shining through the curtains of her window. It had snowed again that night and the clouds remained overcast in the sky. She stretched out like a cat and winced at the pain in her arm; the area around her wound stung from removing her stitches. Groaning, she rolled over and threw her arm over the hard, warm object sitting in bed next to her. Peeling her eyes open, she stared at Sesshoumaru dully for a moment before she smiled and sat up.

"Good morning." Her voice was bleary and soft. Bending down, she kissed his cheek before crawling over him and padded across the room. Once she had an armful of clean clothes, she wandered to the bathroom. Sesshoumaru watched her go and shifted out from under her blankets. Out of sheer force of habit, he fixed the bed perfectly before he sat on it and waited. The miko came back within a few minutes dressed in heavy clothes. She had an additional coat thrown over her arm.

"When we get back to Nishi, I can put a kimono on again," she said as she threw her pajamas in her laundry bin before she grabbed her bag and glanced at Sesshoumaru. Looking at her bed, noting that it was neatly made, she smirked and sighed. "Come on, let's go."

Sesshoumaru nodded as he rose from her bed and followed after her down the hall and down the stairs. They went straight into the kitchen after Kagome dropped her bag near the door. Kagome hugged her mom quickly before grabbing an orange off the counter. Peeling it easily, she popped a slice in her mouth and chewed before she began to speak.

"We've got to go, mama. I'll be home, eventually. I can't come home as often now, we aren't at the village ever. So, when I can, I'll come home," she promised as she half hugged her mom one last time. Her mom smiled and hugged her back.

"Okay, dear, be careful. You know how much I worry when you're gone," Himeko said softly before she released her daughter and smiled. Kagome smiled back before she walked over to Sesshoumaru and nodded. She was about to lead him out of the room when her mother spoke up.

"Ah, Kagome, you go ahead. I need to speak to Lord Sesshoumaru for a moment. He can meet you at the well," she said with a smile as she walked over to Sesshoumaru and looked at him. Kagome glanced between them and narrowed her eyes for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Okay, mama. Meet me out there, Sesshoumaru," she said suspiciously as she heaved her bag onto her shoulder and walked out of the house. As soon as her mother knew that she was gone, the older woman turned to Sesshoumaru with surprisingly sharp eyes. Sesshoumaru watched her sharply as well, wondering why she was looking at him with such a serious look in her eye. Then, she smiled softly and put a hand on his arm.

"My daughter is very fond of you. I'd go as far as to say that she loves you," she said simply. The rice cooker took that moment to beep loudly, startling both of them. The older woman turned to silence it. Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before blinking slowly and cocking his head to the side. He was about to say something when she turned and looked at him with the same knowing eyes that she had looked at Kagome with.

"And you're rather affectionate of her as well, perhaps you love her in return. I know, I know, you're going to deny it. Kagome already told me that you don't usually like humans, but I can tell that you love her. Despite what you might say." She scooped out a spoonful of rice while she spoke. "And I'm in full support of you two being together, but I must warn you something."

Himeko paused and looked at him with one of the most dangerous looks that he had ever seen. Feeling challenege, he levelled her with a threatening look of his own. She didn't back down and just took a step forward, staring straight up at him.

"My daughter is trusting, loving, and caring. She used to fall in love very easily. And then Inuyasha broke her heart, and we were afraid that she wouldn't get over it. She came home and cried for days, locked in her room and refusing to leave. Until one day, she came out of her room with a bright smile and she acted like it never happened. We were worried that she was just bottling it up but we were so happy to see her happy that we didn't do anything. And now she has feelings for you. I will not stand to see her broken like that again. So, if you are going to break her heart, do it now. Before her feelings for you become any more serious."

Sesshoumaru listened to this and clenched his fists at the thought of Kagome in such a state. She was so warm and bright; the thought of her being broken and sad infuriated him more than he would have thought. He wasn't sure what he should say to this woman. Thinking about the miko, her smile and her smell and the way she talked, it made him want to smile. Looking back at the girl's mother, at the fierce protective look in her eyes, he nodded slowly.

"I have no intention of hurting your daughter, you have my word," he said slowly, his voice gaining confidence as he spoke. He knew that he would never purposely hurt the Kagome. He would do anything he could to keep her safe. He knew that her words were true, that his affections were turning to love. He just wasn't ready to say that yet, to admit it outside of his own mind. He had never told another being that he loved them and he wasn't ready to do it quite yet. Kagome's mother smiled knowingly and patted his cheek gently. Sesshoumaru moved away from the touch and walked toward to door.

"Take good care of her, Sesshoumaru. She deserves it," came Himeko's voice softly. Sesshoumaru ignored her words and walked out of the house and toward the little shack that held the well. The miko was standing outside it, her face blank as she stared at the Goshinboku. The demon lord paused, staring at the far-away look in her eyes. There was something other worldly about her, as if she would disappear if you looked away. The lord shook his head as he walked up to her. She grinned when she saw him. Taking his hand, she held it loosely and they walked into the well house in silence.

Kagome was dying to know what her mother had said to the dog demon, but she held her tongue. She knew that Sesshoumaru wouldn't tell her and that it was a waste of effort. Sliding the door to the well house closed, she stepped over the lip of the ancient wood easily and fell into the abyss. Sesshoumaru followed right behind her. The warm blue light swirled around them before the clean scent of his era filled his nose. He sucked in a deep breath and was happy to be rid of the awkward aftertaste of the air in her time. Putting an arm around her waist, he jumped easily out of the well and they landed softly on the snow above. It was late morning in the feudal era and the sun was shining brightly through the clouds, despite the fact that it was frigid out. Frost tipped leaves and the sun glittered against the snow.

Kagome took a deep breath of her own before she smiled at Sesshoumaru. She took a moment to adjust her bag on her back, strapping it securely to her body. Once done, she walked over to him, pushed up on her toes, and kissed him. Sesshoumaru returned the kiss, cupping her cheek. After a moment, Kagome pulled her head back and smiled at him.

The anxious voice in her head told her to be careful. Her feelings for Sesshoumaru were only getting stronger. Her mind whispered that they would never be able to stay together. _'He'll need to take a mate and produce heirs someday.'_

She ignored the voice, if only for now. She was happy and after days of despair and nightmares, she wanted to concentrate on being happy. Sesshoumaru stepped back, releasing her waist and staring down at her intently.

He knew that he should worry about such blatant displays of feelings for her, for allowing her to show such affections when they were not promised to be mated and had no open intentions of being mated at that moment. He'd admitted to himself that he was more than affectionate for her, would even go as far as to say he was starting to love her. Her mother's words whispered through his mind: ' _Take care of her. She deserves it.'_ He had promised the older woman that he would not hurt her and he had no intention of doing so. Consequences be damned, he was not going to inflict pain on Kagome.

Kagome looked at the lord curiously.

"Are we flying?"

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly and held his arm out for her. She moved over and stood next to him as his arm snaked around her waist and suddenly they were up in the air. Kagome clung to his arm tightly and sucked in a surprised breath. Sesshoumaru smiled and held her tightly.

"Do not fret. I will not drop you," he whispered reassuringly against the wind. Kagome nodded and turned her face into his shoulder to protect it from the wind. Sesshoumaru sighed and tightened his arm just a little more as he flew a little faster. He wished to return to the castle as quickly as they could.

Darkness had just fallen over the western lands when Sesshoumaru released Kagome and she walked a few feet on weak legs. She was tired and it felt like an entire day was gone. She blinked groggily and smiled when the children came rushing out. Shippou jumped easily into Kagome's arms as Rin stood between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. She looked back and forth between them, her face torn. Kagome realized quickly that she didn't know which one of them she was going to hug. Smiling gently, she lifted Rin into her other arm and held her up to Sesshoumaru. Her smile was wide and Sesshoumaru found he missed the gap where her missing tooth had been. He knew though that she was a human and that she was going to grow. He held her steady as she wrapped her arms around him while her waist was still in Kagome's arms.

"You're home!" Rin said in childlike excitement as she hugged Sesshoumaru tightly before she let go and hugged Kagome too. Rin and Shippou both did. Kagome couldn't help hugging them back tightly and loudly kissing both of their cheeks. Setting them down, she knelt in front of them and looked at them in mock sternness with a firmly pointed finger.

"Isn't it almost time for a certain two little children to go to bed?" she said, her smile breaking the fake authority. The children smiled at her and nodded before they each kissed a cheek and hurried off into the castle. Kagome straightened before she turned to Sesshoumaru and grinned. Together, they walked in silence into the castle. Sesshoumaru waited patiently as the caring miko tucked in the children and kissed them goodnight. She whispered promises about reading the two of them stories the next night.

"So, dinner and then bed?" she offered as they started to aimlessly wander the halls, noting that neither of them had eaten a real meal that day. She glanced up at the demon, smiling when he nodded.

They stopped by their rooms long enough for Kagome to shed her thick clothes and change into more appropriate attire. The two of them walked in comfortable silence to the dining room and sat with each other as they eat miso soup and pickled radishes. They chatted and laughed, but Kagome could tell that the demon lord was guarded here. She smiled though, just as happy with quiet grunts as she had been with chuckles. Taking another sip of water, she set her chop sticks down and yawned. Sesshoumaru set his own chopsticks down and looked out the window into the darkness where little pins of stars tore through the black blanket of the sky.

Standing, he held out his hand to the miko and she took it immediately. She stumbled a little when she stood and leaned on the demon. He sighed and held her up straight. He could tell that she was exhausted and that it was definitely time for her to go to bed. Leading her out of the dining room, she became more alert as they walked. Soon she could walk on her own without his help and her eyes were a little more focused.

They walked in a silence that made Kagome want to talk, but she didn't know what to say. Sighing, she gave up on what to say when they reached her room. Awkwardly they stood outside Kagome's room before she smiled. In a quick move, she leaned up and kissed his cheek gently.

"See you in the morning." Sesshoumaru caught her wrist just as she turned and held it for a moment. Her pulse was thundering against his palm.

"You will sleep with me for the night. You are less likely to have a nightmare when you sleep with me and I do not wish you fatigued due to the hanyou," he said after a moment. Kagome blinked before a soft, affectionate smile spread over her lips.

"I need to change and I'll meet you in your room." Sesshoumaru nodded and released her wrist.

He walked into his room and listened to her change as he stripped out of his own clothes and tossed them into a small basket near the door. Crawling into bed, he only had to wait moments before the miko was peeking in his room nervously.

"Come in, miko," Sesshoumaru sighed as he moved over and made room on the futon. She made her way across the room quickly and laid out beside him. Covering her with the blankets, he waited for her to settle before closing his eyes. She was quiet for so long that Sesshoumaru was sure that she was asleep. He settled in and was on the verge of sleep when her quiet voice reached his ears.

"I like you. A lot." Her voice was a soft, soft whisper. He would miss it if he didn't have the hearing of a demon. He glanced at her for a moment before staring up at the ceiling. She was nervous of what he was going to say. He could say that it meant nothing to him. He could say that he didn't care. Her chest tightened. The strength of her feelings continued to shock her. It was amazing that he could get this reaction out of her by not saying anything at all. She swallowed against her tightened throat. Finally, he spoke.

"I'm rather affectionate of you as well," his voice was deep and rumbled in his chest next to her.

She felt relief spread through her, loosening her chest enough to breath. Bitter feelings of unease and sadness were left though. While he had admitted his feelings, that didn't necessarily mean that they were going to go anywhere. They could disappear; they could end up being "nothing" feelings. Feelings that he thought he had but didn't really. She pushed these desperate thoughts from her head and sighed as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. Acknowledging and admitting he had feelings for her was more than she had ever hoped for. And for now, it was enough.

Eventually, they will need to completely sort it out, but right now, she needed to sleep. Sesshoumaru stared at her and knew that something was still plaguing her thoughts. She was withholding something from him.

Exhaling loudly, he closed his eyes and willed the troubling thoughts of the miko out of his head long enough to fall asleep. Kagome rolled over and curled closer to Sesshoumaru's sleeping form and hummed sleepily when his arm wrapped around her. She would just need to wait and see where all of this went. It's not like she had anywhere else to go. Within minutes, they were lulled to sleep by the sound of each other's heartbeats.


	8. Chapter 8

Graphic content warning for this chapter.

Three and a half months went by, nothing changed in Kagome and Sesshoumaru's relationship. She gripped his wrist and hand a lot, pressing her fingers against his pulse. She'd kiss his cheeks in greeting and parting. In the privacy of their rooms or the study, they'd kiss.

Everything had settled, including Kagome's place in Nishi.

She helped Haru in the herb gardens or in the infirmary. They became close and often spent time with the children playing in the gardens. She continued to spend a considerable amount of time with the soldiers. After her fight, they had learned to respect her and she had been permitted to train with them. She even taught them a thing or two on archery that she had been taught by Kaede and other mikos that they had met. She found it amazing to work and find a place in this castle.

She overcame her fear of the guards and leaving the castle grounds to venture into Nishi's youkai city. She brought medicine and food for the people there, snacks to give the children. She had helped a wolf youkai through a birth, the pup cried loudly the moment he had been born. She had checked up on him twice since his birth and was happy to see that he was doing well.

The snow had melted away and flowers were blooming all over the palace grounds. It thrilled Rin to no end. Several times, she pulled Kagome around by the hand to show her new flowers as they bloomed. The beginning of spring also meant that the Ceremony was coming up. She knew that it was the middle of March right now and from the talks she'd had with Sesshoumaru, the events were to take place in the beginning of April. The closer it got, the more nervous she became. The miko knew that lords and ladies from other lands were going to come to Nishi and was nervous to be presented in front of them. Inuyasha and her friends were coming as well. She spent most of her time away from the castle in an attempt to distract herself from the growing unease.

She was on her way home from visiting an elderly hawk demon when a messenger from the palace came running up to her. Pausing to catch his breath, he looked at her urgently and pointed to the main gate.

"Visitors have arrived, my lady. Lord Sesshoumaru requested that you accompany him to greet them. He says it is your previous companions." Kagome's eyes widened at his words. For a moment, her heart constricted hard enough for it to be hard for her to breath. All the nervousness and excitement that she'd been feeling intensified. It took a deep breath before she smiled shakily and nodded.

"Thank you Eiichi, you can go back to the palace now," she said quietly as she turned and walked toward the main gates of Nishi. Demons smile and waved at her as she went, some calling out to her with friendly tones. She smiled back at them, relaxing slightly as she walked. Despite her nerves, she was excited to see her friends. What worried her the most was knowing that her friends were most likely going to find out about her relations with Sesshoumaru. Miroku and Sango were far too perceptive not to notice. She knew that they were going to make a big deal out of it too.

Sighing, she held the basket in her hands against her hip and walked leisurely toward the main gate to the city. It only took her a few minutes to see the lord standing a few hundred yards in front of her. After a minute, she stood by his side and turned to stare at the main gate. He glanced down at her and touched her wrist gently. She knew what he was asking without words and nodded slowly.

Sesshoumaru gave the gatemen a nod and the doors slowly opened with a loud screech of protest. Once the gate was fully open, she could see them. They were all there, except one. She was not surprised that Kikyou hadn't come with them. As an older fashion miko, she probably refused to enter the stronghold of a demon society. Kagome huffed softly under her breath and put her other hand on her hip as she stared at them.

Inuyasha took in her appearance and was shocked. She looked, well, she looked amazing.

Her dark hair had grown longer in the, almost, eight months that they had been separated. Longer than he'd ever seen it. In the past, she'd hand Sango a pair of sheers and let the slayer cut it down. It was loosely braid down her back. She looked good in her traditional, dark blue kimono. It was almost strange to see; she had rarely worn one when they traveled together. A basket half full of herbs was balanced against her hip. She had a neutral, collected expression. The small group slowly walked through the gate. Kagome walked toward them, ignoring the loud beating of her heart.

Kagome opened her mouth to greet them, but was cut off when Sango ran at her. The slayer wrapped tightly around her, hugging her so hard that Kagome thought she was going to pass out. The woman was sniffling against her shoudler and squeezing the miko. Kagome immediately hugged her back and patted her back comfortingly.

"It's okay Sango, I'm not angry at you guys. I know why you did it. It's okay," she said as the woman pulled back and Miroku stepped forward to rub her back gently. The monk smiled apologetically as he comforted his fiancée and Kagome smiled back with a small nod. Casting one last cold look at Inuyasha, whose ears flattened sadly, Kagome turned and smiled at Sesshoumaru.

"I'll take them back to the castle and get them settled in the rooms that you told me to put them in. Then, I'll meet you in your study?" The dog demon nodded to her in approval and turned to retreat back to the castle. Kagome smiled after him before turning to her friends and clapping her hands together.

"Well, let's go and I'll help you get settled in before dinner," she said nervously as she retrieved the basket from the ground and began to lead the group toward the castle. Sango and Miroku shared a glance, surprised by Kagome's level of comfort with the demon lord, before they looked back at their friend's back. The silence was tight and incredibly awkward, none of them knowing how to break the bubble.

The small group watched with interested as demons waved and smiled at her. She stopped to speak briefly with a few, to check in and make sure that everything was okay, before they continued toward the castle. Kagome smiled at the guards as she entered the gates, both of whom nodded and winked at her. She had grown much more comfortable with them, especially after the other soldiers had a chance to get to meet her. She took a moment to chat with them as well. Her friends watched the miko smile and laugh at something they said before she turned to them.

Walking through the courtyard toward the doors, Kagome waved at Haru from the path. The miko turned to say something to them when excited shouts caught her attention. Rin and Shippou were running toward them, near tripping over themselves.

They looked at her happily before looking at her company. Shippou glared.

"Kagome, why are they here? I thought you were mad at them?" Shippou asked in a confused voice as he walked alongside her. Usually he would have jumped up onto her shoulders, but in the months that they'd been in the castle, Shippou had grown like a beanstalk. Nearly a foot in that time; his head now reached Kagome's hips. Kagome smiled at him as she held the basket with one arm and Rin's hand with the other. She led them toward the castle doors as she answered the small fox kit.

"Well, I was angry at them, but Sesshoumaru needs them here. So, I guess I have to forgive them," she said happily, winking at Sango and Miroku over her shoulder. The pair smiled in return. They entered the castle a few minutes later, where Kagome shooed the children off to play. They ran off toward their rooms laughing. Kagome smiled after them before she turned and looked at the three in her company. Sighing, she headed for the wing that she lived in and showed each of them their rooms.

"Sango, my room is just around the corner from here if you need anything. Miroku, your bedroom is two doors down from here, past the next hallway. Remember, if you need anything, come knock on my door."

She glanced at the half demon before motioning for him to follow her. His room was a little ways away from here; Sesshoumaru didn't want the half demon's room too close to theirs. Kagome had chosen not to argue at the time, considering she didn't care how close Inuyasha's room was to her. They were near his room when Inuyasha put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"Kagome, we need to talk about this," he started, his voice soft and sad. Kagome let her relax under his touch and she turned slowly to face him. Her face was neutral and guarded. She looked so much like his brother for a moment that it made Inuyasha's heart stop. He pulled his hand away as if stung and took a step back. Regaining his breath, he motioned toward the room that Kagome had just told him was his awkwardly and pulled the door open for Kagome. She walked in and strolled slowly over to the window and stared out into the courtyard. Soldiers were milling about on their lunch break. She could see Rin and Shippou were helping Haru in the herb garden.

Winter was completely gone, the sweet spring winds blowing in the air now. The herb garden was starting to fill with freshly grown medicines and Haru needed all the help that she could get to pluck all of the herbs before they wilted. She smiled a little at that before she realized where she was and let the smile fall. Turning, she leaned against the frame of the window and stared at Inuyasha with an expectant expression. He fidgeted under her scrutiny and stared down at his feet.

"If you aren't going to say anything, I'm going to leave. I need to talk to Sesshoumaru," she said as she pushed herself off the wall and walked past him toward the door. He whipped around and grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her back toward him.

"No, don't leave-"

The rough feeling of Inuyasha's hand around her wrist made Kagome uncomfortable. She pulled it away sharply and turned around to slapped him hard across the face. The hanyou's face stung like he had been burned and he put a clawed hand to the heated skin before he turned and looked at the furious miko.

"Don't _leave?_ Don't leave?! How can you even say that? Did you give me a chance to ask you _not to leave?_ " she demanded angrily as her miko powers sizzled at her fingertips. Inuyasha took a step back and stuttered for a moment before he looked down again and his ears flattened onto his head. Kagome felt her anger waver a little before she brought it back full force.

 _'No, I will not let him get away with this. He hurt me, he betrayed me, and he abandoned me!'_ her mind screamed in rage at her as she took a step forward.

"You left me to fend for myself, Inuyasha, because you didn't think I was strong enough to keep up with you. What is there to talk about? What could you possibly have to say that wasn't already said in that action alone?" she screamed, her voice high and reedy with fury. Inuyasha flinched back from her accusations and looked out the window. She was shaking, so hard that her braid quivered. Inuyasha glanced at her and sighed. He wanted to take a step forward and hug her, but thought better of it and kept his arms at his sides.

"Kags, I'm sorry. I-I know that I made a mistake. I'm sorry, please; you have to listen to me though. I know I made a mistake and I know I left you and I'm sorry. I've missed you so much lately, and I know that Kikyou could never replace you. And," he stopped, dead in the middle of his sentence as his face lit red and he looked away with sad eyes. Her words from the forest echoed in his head for a moment before he looked back at her and continued, "I still love you Kagome. With all my heart, I do. And I want you back, I want you to come and travel with us again."

His voice took a desperate tone. "You don't belong here. You don't belong with Sesshoumaru. He's going to hurt you and leave you heart broken. I can't stand to just sit by and watch that happen. You're my best friend, Kagome; you've been by my side all this time. I just- I can't watch you do that." His voice ended sad, the desperation weak; he sounded tired. They stood and stared at each other, sad and tired, for only a moment before Kagome took a step back and lifted her eyes to him.

"No, Yasha, I'm not leaving Nishi with you. Everything you just said, all the hurt and heartbreak, that's exactly what you did to me. I won't get hurt here. He's been good to me, Inuyasha. He's been gentle and kind. This image of him that you've built in your head is wrong. He's not going to hurt me. I can promise you that," she paused and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, sniffling slightly and taking a deep breath before she finished, "I don't love you anymore Inuyasha. I-I like him, a lot. More than I ever thought was possible." Her voice was small, barely there. Inuyasha almost didn't catch the faint whisper, but it was enough to shatter him a little bit. He took a step forward and shook his head, his arms held out to her and gold eyes desperate.

"No, Kagome, no you don't love him. You think you do, but you don't. You can't. You love me, you've always loved me," he said, his voice strained and desperate. Kagome shook her head back and forth. She took another step away from him, exhaling shakily.

"I do, Inuyasha, I do. I have for a long time. And I can't change it now. I just- I can't."

Inuyasha reached his arms out to her and enveloped her in them this time. She put her hands on his chest and held in tears as he ran his claws through her hair. It was quiet for a long time between them, just standing in each other's company. Her tears had stopped and now she was just putting off the inevitable. She knew that once they pulled away from one another that reality would come crashing back.

"You know, a year ago I would have loved to have you hold me like this. Now," she pulled away and looked at his sad face, "It feels wrong."

He nodded slowly as he removed his arms from her and took a step back. His eyes were still riddled with despair and loneliness and Kagome almost couldn't take it. She needed to though; she needed to confront these feelings of indecision in her heart once and for all.

"Inuyasha, I don't love you anymore. You chose Kikyou over me and in the process, lost me," she swallowed loudly and took a deep breath before she looked up. "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha nodded slowly again. He tried to smile, but it just fell flat. He let it go after a moment and took a step forward to hug her again. She stepped back though, and put her hands up to halt his movement with a shake of her head.

"I know that all our feelings are out there and everything, but I can't do this yet. I need some time to think, to process and to get used to being around you again. I know it hasn't been that long, but it's been long enough," she said quietly, her voice wavering in the middle. Inuyasha let his arms fall limply to his side and nodded numbly. Kagome half smiled to him and said, "It's okay. We're still friends, and I'm not angry anymore. I just need time to think."

Inuyasha nodded again and returned the half smile. "I really have missed you, Kags."

"I've missed you too, Yasha." They nodded to one another one last time before Kagome turned to leave. She was a little surprised when Inuyasha didn't grab her wrist and she slid his door shut. Walking slowly, she soon found that she was running. Away from his room and away from the haunted look on his face, away from the sad fog in his eyes and away from all the heartbreak between them.

….

Kikyou sat under the shade of the tree in complete silence. Kohaku sat across from her and stared at a microscopic ant in the dust. Inuyasha and his company had left into Nishi a day ago. Kikyou had refused to enter such a place. She was a miko and the demon was her natural enemy, she was not going to go in and be friendly with them. It had been convenient to have an excuse to leave; Kohaku had come the day before with a message from Naraku. This was much easier than trying to make an excuse to Inuyasha.

The silence between them was neither comfortable nor awkward. It just was. Kohaku glanced away from the ant for a millisecond to look at the clay woman before he looked back. He was disappointed when he couldn't find it again and sighed. Looking at the woman, he felt a question on the tip of his tongue.

"Why are you doing this?" he blurted out awkwardly. The ancient miko opened her eyes slowly and stared at him with blankly. Her gaze made the boy uncomfortable and he was forced to look away before she answered.

"Do what?"

"Betray Inuyasha like this, by joining Naraku and lying about it. Why?" he asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His voice rose in anger slowly until he was standing and his fists were shaking. Kikyou stared at him in boredom and raised a perfectly sculpted brow at his actions before she settled and closed her eyes again.

"Is it any different than what you are doing to your sister? Being free of the Naraku's power yet you still side with him?" she said, her voice flat. Kohaku felt like he had been slapped across the face and his head spun before he got control of his feelings.

"No! It's not the same. Naraku can make the jewel stronger whenever he wanted! I am not free as long as this shard is in my back! You- You are free. You have free will to do whatever you want and you're choosing to betray the man that loves you for the hanyou that is made of pure evil!" he screamed at her, his whole body quivering now. Kikyou shrugged delicately and yawned quietly. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the vile woman sitting in front of him, he took a deep breath to calm himself and ran a hand through his hair.

"Come on, we have to go. Naraku is expecting you soon," he said, his voice just as flat as her. He pushed his chain scythe into his belt and began walking. He didn't look back to see if the woman was following because he didn't really care. He wanted to be away from her as soon as possible. Even if getting away from her meant that he had to return to the evil half demon that he hated with all his heart and soul.

….

Sesshoumaru growled in utter frustration as he stalked out of his office and down the hallway. All day, it had been person in and out of his office with trivial questions and reports regarding the ceremonies. The Houses were set to start arriving in two weeks and the final touches on everything were just settling in. The tournament judges and referee had been chosen, the meal menu set, the decorations hung, and rooms prepared. The vendors from the other houses were given maps of where their booths would be set up in Nishi while they were here. All that was left to deal with was picking the fighters from his house and greet the other Houses upon their arrival. All of that would happen the day that the others arrived, so the demon lord had not been bothered by it today. He had just finished approving the housing and room arrangements for the other lords, ladies, and their guests. Needing a break from this, lest the pinching headache kill him, he ordered a servant to find the miko. Five minutes later, Jaken came flopping into his office out of breath.

"Milord, the miko is nowhere to be found. The servant you sent out was unable to locate her," he said, his squawk high and anxious. The imp jumped at the dangerous growl that sounded through the room. The demon lord had breezed past him within milliseconds and was down the hall almost instantly.

He stood in the warm evening air with his nose lifted to the wind and his eyes closed. He had to concentrate harder than he thought he would, the miko's scent was all over the castle and the courtyard. He scowled as a little burst of lavender swirled in front of him coming from the north. Turning, he headed toward the dojo. He could tell that she wasn't in the large building and continued past it. He walked for five more minutes, odd bursts of her smell floating through the air from time to time, before he finally caught on her scent. Following it quickly, he turned a corner around a large tree and found the miko sitting right behind it.

"Miko," he stated his voice low and almost threatening. Having to come out and look for her was not helping his headache at all. When the miko didn't react to his voice, he walked around her and looked at her face. Her eyes were closed and her breath quiet. Her knees were pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them tightly.

"She's sleeping," he said quietly, giving a small, private smile, before sighing and picking her up. Holding her gently to his chest, he smiled tenderly when she curled closer. Her small hands clutched at his haori and she mumbled unintelligently in her sleep. The demon lord chuckled and walked back toward the castle. Soon, he had her tucked into his futon and cuddling a pillow of his tightly. He sat beside her for a few minutes, watching her chest rise and fall. He was tempted to stay here with her, but knew that he had things to tend to. He rose from the side of her bed and turned to the servant standing near the door.

"Is dinner ready?" The maid gave a quick, respectful nod. "Get the miko's companions and the hanyou, show them to the dining hall. They shall join me and the children for dinner tonight." The little black feline bowed and scurried out of the room. Sesshoumaru glanced once more at the miko and bent down to brush her hair out of her face.

"Sleep, little miko. I shall return later tonight," he whispered softly, the icy exterior melting away for a moment as he stared at her peaceful expression. Sighing mentally, he stood and swept out of the room. On the way to the dining hall, he gathered the children and explained to them who they were dining with. They chattered excitedly and formulated plans to mess with Inuyasha at dinner.

"We could throw food at him!"

"We could kick him under the table."

"We could set him on fire!" they said in unison, giggling afterwards as they raced ahead of the taiyoukai and into the dining hall.

Sesshoumaru smirked behind them, approving of their antics as he swept into the dining room. The demon slayer and the monk were sitting at the far end of the table, and Rin and Shippou had pulled up seats across the table from them. Shippou talked excitedly of his time in Nishi to Sango and Miroku as Rin nodded and added her own bits of the stories. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. This didn't surprise the demon lord for a second. He was actually pleased that his half brother hadn't shown up.

Sesshoumaru took his place at the head and stared at his company. Slowly, Shippou and Rin stopped talking and waited for Sesshoumaru to say whatever he was going to say before they finished their tale. Clearing his throat quietly, he stared from the monk to the slayer for a moment before he spoke.

"Welcome to Nishi. You, as the miko's friends, are welcome to stay as long as she sees fit. You are required to stay through at least the ceremonies that are to be held here in the next two week. You are not required to participate, but must stay within the city grounds. You may join the festivities if you so wish. I am sure that the miko would be pleased if you did." He paused for a moment to look at them to make sure that they comprehended everything he was saying. Glad to see that they weren't going to argue, he continued.

"Now, one thing that I won't tolerate is you trying to convince or force the miko to leave Nishi. I have already proven that I am much more competent than you or the half breed. She is safe. She is happy. It has been her decision to stay here. She will remain in Nishi with me," he concluded before taking a sip of water and motioning for the servants to bring the food out. Food covered the table quickly and the children started to fill their plates as Sango stared at Sesshoumaru in disbelief. Part of her was shocked that he was even talking to them and another part of her was shocked at what he had said. Her anger flared instantly and Miroku didn't have time to calm her before she opened her mouth.

"And what makes you think that she won't want to leave?" she asked insolently. Sesshoumaru raised a silver eyebrow at her and set his glass down. He thought of all the touches, all the kisses, and all the times when her tiny hand would grip his wrists. All the times she had cuddled closer to him and all the times she had held his hand when it wasn't necessary. They made a smile pull at the corners of his lips and he pushed it down before he answered.

"Based on my time spent with the miko, I am sure that she is more than happy to stay in Nishi with me. After all," he smirked coldly, "I won't abandon her."

Sango blink in misunderstanding before she clenched her fists and prepared to lunge at the demon lord. Miroku caught her wrist tightly and pulled her back down into her seat. She whipped her head around and gave him a deadly look that made him wince before he ripped his eyes from her and turned to the demon lord.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, what I think my darling fiancé means is what your intentions with Kagome? Why do you wish to keep her in Nishi?" The entire dining room went. The children were looking between Sango and Sesshoumaru, who were staring at each other with ill hidden contempt. The demon lord contemplated the question for a moment before as he was thinking about the miko again. He smiled softly at the thoughts and memories. Looking back up at the two, he met the slayer's eyes and then the monk's.

"My intentions are to protect her and to take care of her, to make sure that she is happy. I feel that the easiest way to obtain all three of those goals, along with prepare for the impending fight with the evil hanyou, is to keep her here in Nishi with the children and I."

Sango seethed for another moment before letting her fists unclench. Miroku slowly released her wrist. They were shocked; they couldn't believe what they were hearing. Neither of them had never thought that he would say such a thing, especially about a human. Let alone about Kagome.

Sango swallowed, took a deep breath, and nodded slowly at his words before turning to her food and eating slowly. Miroku glanced down at her with a small smile painted on his lips. She nudged him with her elbow playfully, but returned the smile. Their fears had been put to rest, their worries over Kagome's wellbeing were proven unnecessary and they would be able to sleep soundly again. They both sighed quietly before they turned their full attention to the two children in front of them whom were telling them a very exciting tale of the time that they had stolen Jaken's staff and set him on fire with it.

Sesshoumaru watched with passive eyes and ate little as dinner proceeded. It wasn't until the children's words were slurring and they were yawning every other word that Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and stood.

"Shippou, Rin it is time to go to bed." They both nodded and slid out of their seats. They mumbled a 'goodnight' to Sango and Miroku before Rin's maid led them to their room. Halfway between the table and the door, she was already carrying both of them. Sesshoumaru sighed affectionately at the sight and turned to the monk and the slayer. "I am retiring for the night as well. You are free to roam the castle and the grounds, but I would suggest sleep. The children wake early and with undoubtedly wake you as they wake Kagome."

They nodded at his words and watched as he left the room. The minute the door closed, Miroku turned to his future wife and grinned.

"She's in good hands, my dear. He obviously has feelings for. He will not hurt her, she is safe," he said simply as he rose and took Sango's hand. She grumbled unhappily but ended up nodded and sighing. Together they walked out of the dining room and to their separate room in silence. They knew that they would talk about the demon lord and their miko friend soon but right then they were content with silence. Outside of Sango's room, she fidgeted awkwardly and blushed when the male kissed her cheek gently and walked away. Staring after him for a minute, she retreated back into her room and got prepared for bed.

….

Sesshoumaru walked slowly back to his room, rolling his own words around in his head. He was slightly surprised by his own answers to the companions' questions. He was more than a little surprised that he had answered them at all.

 _'It is because they are the surrogate family of our future mate and she cares about them. To hurt them would hurt her, and we won't do that,'_ his demon explained simply. Sesshoumaru considered this question and nodded to himself. He did care about the miko and he knew that these humans meant something to her. And for that sole reason, he would be pleasant with them.

Sliding his door open, he glanced at the sound asleep miko in the bed before he pulled off his clothes and slid into the bed next to her. Slowly, as if sensing him, the miko migrated toward him and curled into his side. The demon lord sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. He smiled as his clawed hand ran lightly over her cheek. He chuckled when she hummed appreciatively, even in her sleep. He stilled when she mumbled in her sleep and pulled herself closer to him. Her warm cheek rested against the cool skin on his shoulder. He shuttered pleasantly and went back to running his fingers through her soft black locks. He buried his nose in the top of her head, indulging himself. He took in the scent from her hair and sighed happily.

"You are quite an oddity in this Sesshoumaru's life, little miko," he whispered softly as he ran his claws along her arm, which was draped across his chest. He pressed the flats of his fingers to her wrist gently and reveled in the soft pulse there. Sighing in content, he moved his fingers back up to her forehead.

"You touch, kiss, and embrace me with no fear in your eyes. You smile at me, you spend time with me, and you have admitted affections for me. I had thought at one point that no being could look at me without fear glistening in their eyes. Yet, you do, you look at me with trust and affection and happiness," he whispered to her softly, bewildered when it suddenly felt easier to breath. His beast chuckled smugly in the back of his head.

 _'You have held in your feelings for the girl and while your brain is pleased with that, your heart is not. It wishes for you to take her, to make her ours; much like I wish you to. Your body is simply reacting to the metaphorical 'weight' of your secret being lifted from your consciousness and heart,'_ the deep voice explained as it stared through Sesshoumaru's eyes at the beautiful woman in front of them.

Her round face was soft in her sleep and her full lips slightly parted. For a moment, her brow pinched in discomfort and she sucked in a quick breath through her teeth.

 _'Nightmare.'_ Sesshoumaru rubbed his knuckles softly against her cheek to comfort her. Her face calmed after a moment and she fell back into lifeless sleep. He smiled gently and thought on his demon's words. The deep voice had presented an interesting point. He had thought up to this point that keeping his feelings for the miko private were the correct decision. He did not want to raise the girl's hopes only to let her down in the end. He refused to hurt her in that way. He had decided that he wouldn't speak to Kagome on his feelings until he was truly and utterly confident and sure of them himself.

He knew that he enjoyed her company. His chest filled with warmth when she turned to him with a smile. He was happy when she'd sit in silence with him, reading scrolls while he worked on paperwork. He enjoyed watching her play with the children.

 _'Is that enough to take her as a mate though?'_ he wondered, thinking back to one of the few conversations he'd had with his father. His father had asked him if he had anyone to protect. At the time, Sesshoumaru had said no, thinking that he would never have anyone in his life that was worth protecting. He smirked at his father's words now, having an odd feeling that his father had somehow known that he would someday find something he wished to save. First it had been Rin, with her gap toothed smile and her childish kindness. Then it had been Kagome, with her fearlessness and compassion. Thinking back, he remembered his father's words following his reply.

His father had smirked and chuckled softly, upsetting a younger Sesshoumaru to no end. Inu-no-Tashio turned to him then, his face serious and almost threatening. Sesshoumaru had bristled under the look, his youki surging on instinct. His father had smirked at his aggression and chuckled again.

"Son, someday, you will find a girl that is worth protecting and you will love her." A young Sesshoumaru scoffed at the idea and flicked a piece of hair over his shoulder.

"Love? A useless, human emotion that only serves to weaken a warrior. I have no use for it."

The look on his father's face was one that Sesshoumaru had never been able to forget. It was so soft and kind that it caught Sesshoumaru off guard. There was another emotion there though was confused Sesshoumaru even more. His father's eyes held forgiveness.

Pushing the memory into the back of his head, he glanced down at the miko and traced his finger over her bottom lip. Her breath fanned over it softly. He wanted to kiss her, but fought the urge. Caressing her cheek softly, he thought about love and the miko. After a long time, he decided.

He did not love the miko. He was affectionate of her and enjoyed her company, but he did not love her. Not yet, at least. From what he understood, love was desperate and overwhelming. His feelings for the miko were neither of those things. That much he knew was true. Pulling his hand slowly away from her face, he laid his head back and closed his eyes. It was time that he put these thoughts to rest for the night and attempted to get some rest. Tomorrow was sure to be a frustrating day.

….

 _Dark smog swirled in the air and filled Kagome's lungs quickly, making her choke. Doubling over, she tried to cough up the clog in her throat and her eyes burned with poison as tears. Spitting up a dark glob onto the equally dark ground, she gasped for breath and stood up straight and wiped her mouth. Looking around, she squinted her eyes and tried to figure out where she was. It was cold and the air was moist with poison and miasma. She could taste blood in the back of her mouth and gagged at the taste. Taking a step forward, she was glad to determine that the ground was solid enough for her to stand and walk one. After a few cautious steps, she became comfortable walking in the tainted world with its blood stained floor. If she walked ten feet in any direction, she would hit a wall of sorts that stopped her from walking._

 _It wasn't until she reached her first wall that she realized that her miko powers had no use here. She attempted to summon them to her fingertips and they just sparked before disappearing into a sea of miasma that floated around her. Frowning, she turned and walked in the last direction that she could. This time, she was surprised to find out that she made it past the tenth foot. She continued to walk, eventually losing count and just concentrating on walking. The weight of the miasma on her made her tire quickly and soon she was too tired to continue. She kept going though, her body pulling from some store of energy she didn't know she had._

 _It felt like hours later and her feet were still moving._

 _One in front of another. One in front of another. On in front of…_

 _She didn't realize she had stopped walking until her face hit the floor below her and she felt the hot sting of scraped skin along her cheek. She wanted to cry and scream, but her body had stopped listening to her and her mouth tasted like despair. Her breathing was shallow and for a split second, she was sure that she was about to die. Her heart thundered in her chest._

 _Then, a hand reached down and pulled through her hair. At first, the hand was gentle as it pulled the tangles out of her hair. Then she realized the hand was pulling the ends of her hair too soon. As if her hair was significantly shorter than she remembered. She felt the urge to reach up and touch the ends, to see how long, or how short, the black locks were now. Her arms wouldn't listen to her though, the lay limply at her sides and ached with the effort she pushed into them to get them to move. Suddenly, the hand seized her by her hair and lifted her high off the ground. Her felt her limp legs dangle uselessly beneath her and her whole body was numb. She flapped flimsily in the wind, as if made of paper, and she didn't even have the energy to change her expression as she stared into the eyes of evil incarnate._

 _Naraku smiled at her in mock sweetness and his tentacle caressed her cheek gently. The slime left a trail along her skin like a slugs would and it irritated her skin mildly. She felt a rash rising where the slime residue was left over and she wanted to itch it so bad that she almost started to sob when her fingers wouldn't move. The rash turned into a burn and soon, she felt her skin oozing yellow and burning as if stuck by a brand. Tears flowed down her face and only served to add salt to the wound. Naraku smiled at the agony in her eyes as the tentacles traveled further around her body and wrapped tightly around her chest and waist. The slime disintegrated the clothing there and she wanted to scream when the goo came in contact with her nipples. Naraku chuckled at the croak that slipped through her lips and reached out to cup the injured breast. Kagome wanted to slap his hand away. She spit and scream and push him away._

 _She wanted to say no._

 _All her lips would do was quiver though, as his hands roamed her body and the slime burned her skin. They continued to slither over her soft skin, leaving globs and tracks as they went and dissolving clothing in seconds. Soon, she fluttered in the soft wind covered in only scraps of burned clothing and burning slime. The injustice and powerlessness of it all burned her hotter than the mucus did._

 _Naraku noted the passionate anger flash in her eyes and grinned. He bent his head down and locked eyes with her as his long tongue wrapped gently around her still stinging nipple. A spasm racked through her body on instinct and Naraku let out a full laugh at that which shook his body and rattled her frame. His tentacles stilled in their assault of her body for a moment as he reached a hand out and touched the skin of her cheek gently. Then, without warning, his hand whipped back before flying forward and slapping across her face sharply. Her head snapped easily to the side and she had to wait for him to grab her chin and turn her head so that she could see him again. The hand holding her hair was replaced by a tentacle and she could feel the ooze sliding down her hair. She wanted to shutter and hated that she couldn't._

 _Naraku grinned at her, at the rising bruise on her cheek, and silently allowed his slimy appendages to slide over her body again. The dipped around her legs and curled around her elbows. The burning was almost too much for her to take and then, everything went numb. His fingers traced down her bare stomach and ran through the thick hair between her legs with odd tenderness. Kagome wanted to sneer, she wanted to scream, and she wanted to cry. She wanted to say no until she ran out of air._

 _Time was passingly oddly in this strange world filled with miasma. One minute, she was in the air, being forcefully penetrated by his clawed fingers. The next, she was thrown carelessly to the ground and a tentacle was forcefully wrapping around her throat. The end came to rest on her cheek, pressing tightly and burning the skin. She sucked in a wheezing breath at the sensation. Her clothes were barely patches at this point, the burned remnants hung off of her. She knelt, bound tightly, naked in front of Naraku._

 _"Remember this feeling, miko. This will be your reality, for the rest of time, once I have destroyed your little friends and your precious taiyoukai," Naraku said, the evil chilling and settling into her bones as it floated through the miasma. He was rolling the jewel in front of her eyes. The very tips of her fingers twitched to snatch it from him. Kagome felt a tear slide down her cheek and soak into the dirty earth as she found the power to shut her eyes from the horrible world in front of her._

A piercing scream ripped through Kagome's throat and echoed through Sesshoumaru's room. In an instant, the demon lord was sitting up at her side with glowing green claws that promised pain. He could smell Kagome's blood and poison thick in the air. He looked to the girl and his heart thumped hard. Turning, he touched his poison tipped claw to the candle at his bedside. He waited for a moment to make sure that a flame took and then turned back to the miko. She was shaking, so hard that it worried the demon lord, and her hand was pressed tightly against her left cheek. Tears were streaming down her face and her hair was frayed around her head in a halo of black. The demon lord reached out to her and touched her cheek gently.

Feeling a hand touch her cheek, Kagome turned with wide eyes and slapped it away immediately.

"NO!" she screamed, pain and misery ringing in her voice. The demon lord was momentarily surprised by the exclamation. After a moment, Sesshoumaru forced his youki over her gently, giving her a moment to calm before he reached out and took her around her waist gently. Pulling her to him, he crossed his legs and sat her carefully in his lap. He rocked her for a moment before he reached up and moved her hand from her cheek. He hissed at what he saw. A long stripe, was a deep red that sizzled with yellow ooze. It was accompanied by a dark bruise. His eyes travelled along her body, taking in more burns along her skin. His eyes tinted pink for a moment before he looked the miko in the eye seriously.

"Where else are you burned?"

Kagome, with shaking hands, pushed the sleeves of her yukata slowly, revealing less serious burns wrapped around her arms. "I-I think that it's in my hair and neck t-too." Her voice was faint.

Sesshoumaru growled in the back of his throat. "What happened to you?"

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head slowly to the side. Sesshoumaru growled softly, caught between angry and comforting, and grabbed her chin quickly and forced her to look at him. Her eyes filled with fear for a moment before she remembered who she was looking at and her eyes filled with new tears.

"He's sick, Sesshoumaru. I was paralyzed, helpless. He did what he wanted with me." She pointed to her cheek, and for a moment was happy that her cheek was the only serious burn. The others were minor irritations compared to the sting in her cheek. She shuddered hard. "He touched me everywhere. And I couldn't say-I couldn't say no. I couldn't move. He told me that someday, he'd do this to me."

The miko's voice was quivering, her chin wobbling, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She was staring intently at the pattern of the blanket. Sesshoumaru could tell that she was trying to remain collected, but fear and despair was strong in her scent, making it sour. He wrapped his arm around her waist tightly, pulling her against his body and pressing his face into her hair.

"You are safe here, Kagome." With a loud hiccup, she nodded and pressed her face against him. She winced when her burn touched his skin, but ignored it as she cried. The demon lord was caught between intense, blinding fury and the deep rooted instinct to protect his pack. First, he needed to address her wounds.

Lifting her easily, she clung to him as he held her, he carried her over to her yellow backpack. In the months after they had returned to Nishi, she had explained all her medications and ointments to the demon lord. Pulling out the box within her pack, he opened it and pulled out the tube of ointment that she called 'antiseptic' and a piece of gauze attached to a sticky fabric. Setting her down against the wall, he put two fingers under her chin and tilted it up gently. Her tears were slowing now with exhaustion and her eyes shifted in and out of awawreness. Her head lolled to the side and Sesshoumaru sighed as he ttilted it gently again and applied the bad smelling gel to the length of the burn. After that, he pressed the bandage to her skin gently and ran his finger around the edges to reinforce its hold to her skin.

He carefully inspected her arms and the hair on the back of her head, noting that she did have some minor burns along her hairline and down her neck. None of it was nearly as bad as the burn on her cheek, for which he was grateful. Pulling out a small white bottle that read 'aspirin' he shook two of the oblong, red pills into his hand and looked at the miko before shaking her gently.

"Miko, you must take these," he said, firmly. She had told him that they relieved pain and could aid in sleeping, which Kagome would need right now. He made a mental to talk to Haru about perhaps having the miko take poppy seed essence for the next few nights to help her sleep. He watched the miko nod slowly before she took the pills from him and placed them far in the back of her throat. Feeling them touch her uvula gently, memories crashed into her and she gagged. Powerful shudders ran through her body and she wrapped her arms tightly around her. Sesshoumaru rubbed her back slowly, trying to comfort her. She gulped loudly and the pills slid slowly down her dry throat.

After several minutes of deep breathing, she calmed and when Sesshoumaru was sure that she had stopped shaking, he released her slowly. Leaving her for a moment, he retrieved the glass of water from the low table near his bed. He held it against her lips, encouraging her to take a small sip. The water soothed the burn in her throat and cleared her mind, forcing her thoughts to sharpen. She took the cup from him and drank all the water in it. Once she was done, she handed the cup back to the demon lord. Sesshoumaru set it aside and moved her back to the futon.

Laying her in it, he settled next to her and allowed her to wrap her lean body around his side. He knew that she was still awake for a long while before she spoke.

"I can't win, Sesshoumaru. He's beating me, in my own mind." Memories of the afternoon in the garden made her heart clench. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't think that I can beat him." She clenched her eyes tight and ground her teeth together. They snapped open when a deep growl reverberated through his chest and into her body. She lifted herself onto her elbow and looked at him with curious eyes. He was glad for a moment that the dread was no longer dominant in her eyes, but pushed the relief away and concentrated on his irritation with her.

"You, miko, have not been beaten. The hanyou is using underhanded ways to shake your confidence and the only way that he would win is if you allow him," he said firmly. Kagome blinked before smiling softly at him. She reached out a small hand to touch his cheek, running her fingers along his stripes gently. The demon lord closed his eyes, his mind and body begging for sleep.

"I have a stripe like you now," she said suddenly, softly. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her without opening his eyes and he felt her take his wrist gently. Lifting his hand, swiped her thump over his wrist quickly before lifting his hand to touch the gauze on her cheek. She smiled a little wider when he sighed inaudibly at her. Bending down she kissed him; she smiled when he returned it. His hand swept down the side of her face and into her sweat damped hair. It continued down her arm until he was gripping her wrist carefully. Her pulse was steady and strong against his fingers. He relaxed fully, knowing that she had calmed down now. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

He nodded and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "Sleep, little miko. The hanyou will not return tonight." The confidence in his voice reassured Kagome and she nodded slowly before laying her head over his heart. She listened to it beat steadily. Sesshoumaru turned and pressed his fingers into the fire of the candle, blinking against the darkness before closing his eyes and willing sleep to overtake him. Ten minutes later, the miko and the taiyoukai were both sound asleep with their fingers buried in each other's hair.

….

A scream startled him. Inuyasha sat up immediately, groggy, and tried to comprehend what had happened. Easily smelling Kagome's blood in the air, he jumped up from his bed and raced out of his room. He ran down the hall toward her scent as fast as he could. Her tears had mixed into the cocktail of her scent and his alarm grew the closer he got. He slowed when he rounded the corner toward her room. The smell of blood had dissipated from the air and the smell of her tears disappeared as well. He felt her aura calmed down. Pushing his youki over his body, he hid his scent as he approached the room her could sense Kagome in. Her frowned when he realized he could feel Sesshoumaru in the room too and peaked through the crack of the door.

He noticed immediately that there was only one bed in the room and both Sesshoumaru and Kagome were in it. Fury filled him immediately and he was about to storm into the room when his best friend's voice floated to him. He couldn't make out the words, but her voice sounded defeated and quiet. The half dog demon's heart cracked a little at the sound and he took a step back as he watched his brother handle the situation. He wanted to see if Kagome had been telling the truth. He couldn't believe the idea that his brother cared for anything.

He stood outside his brother's room and watched Sesshoumaru comfort and bandage his crying friend. He was shocked; he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He felt his breath hitch in his tight throat when he watched them lay back together. The feeling that he had lost her came back full force and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't look away as they talked to each other in hushed whispers. He was almost floored when he watched them kiss. And it was gentle, tender. He couldn't believe his eyes when they pulled away and Sesshoumaru was smiling affectionately at the futuristic miko.

She had been telling the truth, he realized, as he listened to his brother's gentle voice reassured her that the 'he' wasn't coming back tonight. Inuyasha barely had time to wonder who 'he' was before the candle light was killed and Inuyasha was staring into darkness. He left the doorway quickly and headed back to his room.

His heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his toes when he closed his door and paced his room. He had really lost her to his bastard of a half-brother. Pain and reality tasted bitter in the back of his mouth when he finally stopped walking and sat down on his futon. She had moved on. The hold that he had on her was gone and she really was over him.

It hurt. More than he thought it would. He had never considered the idea of her actually moving on and loving someone else. He was sure that she would always love him, even when he was gone into hell with Kikyou.

Kikyou.

His heart gave another painful thud as he thought of his first love. He wondered vaguely where she was right now and what she was doing. Sighing at the thoughts, he ran a hand through his unruly hair once before he fell back onto his pillow and closed his eyes. This was too much to process on a half-awake brain. He would sleep on it and think about it more in the morning. Minutes later, his quiet snores echoed through his room.

….

Morning came and drifted into afternoon slowly, with Kagome still asleep in bed and the demon lord beside her. It was early in the afternoon when she finally allowed herself to wake up and face the world. Her cheek stung like all holy hell and her body ached. Rolling closer to the lord on the other side of her, she rested her cheek on his chest and sighed. She felt him stiffen for a moment and knew he was awake when his fingers buried in her hair and ran them through it gently.

"You need to bathe, little one," his voice commented quietly. Kagome smiled and ran her fingers through his hair as well.

"Is it too much of a mate's activity to bath together?" she asked quietly, her voice kidding and playful. Her groggy brain forgot about her inhibitions. The demon lord growled playfully back at her and rolled over so that he was looming over her. He didn't know what had spurred such playful jesting with the girl, but he liked it. Leering down at her over dramatically, he cracked his knuckles in mock threat and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you really brave enough to venture, naked, into a bath with a demon?" The demon lord noted the tiny spark of true fear in her eyes and was about to pull away when a fierce fire filled her wide blue eyes and she smirked in challenge.

"Oh, I think I am."

Sesshoumaru felt his beast pressing against his control and knew that he couldn't venture into a bath area with woman. He sighed at her and allowed his look to soften when he looked upon her face and stroked her cheek gently. He watched as the fierce look left her eyes and was replaced by a look of contentment. She leaned into his touch and sighed softly.

"No, miko, it would dishonorable for me to put you in such a situation. Or, to allow you to put yourself in said situation. I was not lying though, you do require a bath. Go and bath and then come down for lunch, I have alerted the kitchens that you were sleeping and lunch was postponed." Kagome nodded happily and kissed his cheek quickly before hopping out of bed and trotting over to her bag. She grabbed it and retreated back into her room, sliding the door shut quietly behind her. Sesshoumaru watched her go and smirked in amusement before he stood and got dressed.

His relationship with the miko was getting more and more interesting.

Once Kagome had closed the door, she dropped her bag beside her trunk and lifted the heavy lid open. Pulling out a random kimono, she set it on her bag before she stripped out of her current clothes and retreating into the bath. The heavy fog wrapped around her and reminded her of the chocking miasma. Shuttering hard, she dashed quickly across the floor and lowered herself into the water. While the only real wound was on her cheek, the minor burns stung mildly. Kagome tried to relax and let the warm water calm her as she leaned against a rock and laid her head back. Soon, the paranoid feeling and crawling under her skin started to raise her anxiety levels and she finally decided it was time to get out. Lathering and rinsing her hair quickly, she crawled out of the water and wrapped herself in a towel. Steps quick, she exited the bathing room and went back into her room. Closing the door, she didn't realize she was gasping until she slid down the door and curled into a ball.

Naraku's voice was loud in her ears and she could feel the tracks along her body burn. She clenched her teeth against the feeling of bile rising in her throat. The urge to gag was nearly impossible to control.

She vaguely noted the door being pulled open across the room from her and the person coming toward her. She didn't realize she was shaking until a still body was against hers and she clung to it like it was her only anchor to the Earth.

Sesshoumaru sighed at the girl, realized that perhaps the dream had affected her more than he had realized. He picked her up slowly, ignoring her damp hair soaking the sleeve of his top. Setting her down at her vanity, he grabbed a spare towel and rubbed it through her hair gently. Once pleased with its dryness, he set the towel aside and grabbed a brush.

Methodically, he ran the brush from her scalp to the tips of her hair. He did this for fifteen minutes, making sure that all the knots and tangles were out of her long hair before he set the brush aside. Gathering her hair in his hands, he slowly and surely braided her hair. He grinned at her soft sigh. Once done, he gripped her shoulder gently. Turning her around, he stared at her and ran his knuckles over her cheekbone, just above the bloody stripe on her cheek, and let his youki spread over her.

"You are safe in Nishi, miko. You need not fear Naraku here." He waited until she nodded at his words before rising and turning.

"Meet me in the dining hall once you have finished getting dressed. Your companions and the children will be there," he said, his voice flat. Kagome half smiled at the cold tone, amused that he still put it up whenever he was with anyone but her. She nodded once more before rising on shaky legs and trotting over to her bag. She waited until he closed her door before completely toweling off and getting dressed.

Five minutes later, she was tying her kimono tightly. She took the time to rub antiseptic on her cheek before slapping a bandage on it. Making sure that she was ready to leave, she gave herself a shake to get rid of the jitters.

She was still scared. She was still anxious. She was still unsure of herself. She wasn't alone though. She had Sesshoumaru to help her through this. Pushing all the worries away, she concentrated on how happy she was to see her friends. With one last deep breath, she set out to the dining hall.

She paused for a moment outside the door before peaking her head in. A chair scraped against the floor and Sango was running toward her the minute the door was close. Kagome opened her arms immediately. The two women embraced tightly for a moment before Sango pulled back and moved Kagome's bangs out of her face and took in her appearance. Once she was sure that the miko really was in front of her, healthy and happy, she smiled tearfully and laughed nervously.

"It's so good to see you. When I heard that Sesshoumaru had you, I got afraid that you were being tortured," she chuckled, thinking back to Sesshoumaru's words the night before, and Miroku's explanation of those words to her. The miko grinned at her and sighed.

"All of you worry too much. I am fine; I'm happy here. I have a place here. I like it here. He isn't forcing me to stay, if I wanted to leave, I would," the miko glanced at the demon who raised his eyebrows at her as if to say 'Oh, really?', and chuckled, "He's keeping me safe, Sango."

Hearing it from Kagome's mouth made the remaining of her worries settle down and Sango smiled in understanding at her as they walked over to the table. Kagome took her seat next to Sesshoumaru as Sango at next to Miroku.

Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru and her fingers brushed the back of his hand momentarily before she reached out and filled her plate with lunch foods.

Lunch continued with Sango and Kagome filling each other in on the last eight months of their lives. Shippou would tune in every now and then to add his own part of a story. The demon lord sat idly and listened as they talked, noticing that the miko skipped over the story of her maid friend. Not mentioning anything, he stood slowly and waited for the women to stop talking before he spoke.

"I have business to attend to regarding the ceremonies. There are last minute decisions that need to be made. Miko, relax for the day with your companions. In the evening, you will meet me in library with Hiyashi and we will settle the finer points of the ceremony." With that, he swept around the table and out of the room. Kagome smiled after him and sighed with a shake of her head. She looked suspiciously at Sango, who was smiling slyly, and took a slow sip of miso.

"What's with the look, slayer?" she asked with a slow smile. Sango shrugged innocently and took a bite of fish.

"Oh nothing, but I couldn't help noticing the fanciful way you stare at him," she commented sweetly, smiling at the wide eyed look on her best friend's face. A blush spread over Kagome's cheeks and she swatted her best friend's hand.

"Shut up. I don't look at him like that."

"Oh, you do too."

Kagome felt the blush spread when the children look at her curiously and she grabbed Sango's wrist.

"Excuse us, we need to talk. Alone," she hissed under her breath, glaring at Sango's smirk while she dragged the woman out of the room.

Miroku blinked at the scene and let a small smile grace his lips before he turned to the children, who were looking at him demandingly.

"Where are they going? Kagome and Sango promised to play with us!" Shippou said angrily, standing on his chair. Miroku ruffled his hair gently.

"It's okay Shippou, the girl's need to have their talk. I'll play with you until they're done, okay?" Shippou and Rin nodded excitedly and grabbed his sleeves in their small hands tightly. They pulled the monk along with them as they chattered and made their way toward to castle entrance. Miroku sighed and got ready for a long day.

….

Kagome released Sango's wrist once they were a good way away from the castle and looked around. She thought about her life now: the soldiers who smiled at her and asked her to train with them, Haru waving at her from the back path to the infirmary as she helped an injured youkai through the door, the gingko tree that she sat under when she watched the children play. She was happy here, happier than anywhere she'd been in the feudal era.

Sango didn't say anything as she watched her friend look around, she looked too. At the soldiers and the demons and everything she had sworn herself to hate. Yet she was here, standing next to her friend and watching these demons live their lives no different than humans. She smiled, thinking her younger self and all her misconceptions.

Kagome heard her friend laugh and turned her head. Sango smiled and motioned for them to sit. They sat in silence for a long time before Kagome turned and looked at her best friend seriously.

"I don't love Inuyasha anymore," she said softly. The sentence was simple, but Sango could hear the implications behind the words. She nodded.

Reaching out and rubbing her friend's back, she said, "I know you don't. You haven't for a while, have you?"

Kagome nodded slowly, realized that her friend was right. She thought back to a time when she loved Inuyasha. It seemed like a very long time ago, so long ago that the memory was hazy. She lowered her head and looked at the grass beneath her. Touching it gently, she felt herself smile. A certain demon lord popped into her head and she couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled to her lips. Sango looked at her curiously and nudged her.

"What's so funny?"

Kagome sobered up quickly and looked to her friend with melancholy eyes. Sango was worried for a moment before she noticed the sad smile on her friend's face. Sango wondered what could have brought on such a strange expression, but Kagome spoke before she could ask.

"I have feelings for Sesshoumaru. Can you believe that? It happened though, right under my nose. I didn't even notice it was happening until one day, bam, it hit me in the face like a wall," she said quietly. It felt good to say it, her chest felt lighter and it was a little easier to breath. She smiled as she turned to look at Sango with a nervous smile and a delicate shrug. "I guess you can't choose who you love."

Sango wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and pulled the smaller woman into her side. Silence descended over them for a long time before Sango knew what to say.

"Have you told Inuyasha?" Kagome let out a quiet laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, yesterday after you guys got here. He told me that we needed to talk about this-this-this," she waved her hands quickly, obviously flustered, "weird non-relationship that we've had for so long. We don't know how to be around each other or talk to each other or even look at each other. He should have known that I would get over him. He should have known that I would fall for someone else. He should have known that he couldn't keep me on chain forever!" Her voice rose as her speech went on and soon her fists were shaking and tears stung her eyes. She wiped them away angrily and looked away from her best friend, frustration making her grind her teeth. Sango stared at her friend with sympathy shining in her brown eyes. She touched Kagome's hand gently and smiled a little.

"Kagome," when the miko turned her head and looked at her Sango's smile grew and she turned so that she was fully facing her futuristic best friend.

"Ever since you left, or rather, we left you; sorry about that, again," she laughed nervously before she cleared her throat and tried to remember what she was going to say. "He's been sulky and quiet. He only really talks to Kikyou, and even when Shippou would pester him, he would just take it and not say anything. He sat alone a lot and whenever we were at the village, he would sit by the well for hours. Shippou swears that he talked sometimes, as if you were there. You were already with Sesshoumaru at the time."

Kagome was surprised by this; she would have thought that Inuyasha would be happy with Kikyou now that he didn't have to worry about hurting her feelings or sneaking around. She could feel her anger at him wavering before disappearing all together. She exhaled loudly through her nose, feeling her residual anger go along with it. Sango watched this change in emotion and smiled at her proudly.

"All I'm saying is that you should talk to him a little more. You guys need to get all the feelings and thoughts on the table, Kagome. Clear the air. You're best friends, after all," the slayer said as she stood up and brushed off her bottom. Looking around, she spotted Miroku and smiled at him before grinning down at her friend and ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Just talk to him, everything will be alright." Kagome nodded to her words and watched as she walked off to talk to Miroku and play with the children. Kagome stared out at the soldiers training on the archery field. She smiled at their progress and was about to stand to join them when she realized she was just trying to avoid the inevitable. Again. Sighing heavily, she pushed herself from the ground and spread her reiki over the entire castle area. She pinpointed her best friend's aura quickly and headed in his direction. She had dreaded this talk, but knew it needed to happen. And she hated it.

….

Inuyasha had been avoiding the group all day. The talk with Kagome coupled with the sight of her with Sesshoumaru had been too much for him and he needed some space. He spent most of the day wandering the grounds. He stayed away from the soldiers, only imagining the taunting that would come from them with his half-breed status. He sneered at the thought as he slumped against the trunk of the large apple tree he was sitting in. He allowed his thoughts of wander to Kagome and closed his eyes against the glare of the sun.

"You know, if you fall asleep up there, you risk falling off the branch." Inuyasha jumped at the voice beneath him and glared down at his friend. She was smiling teasingly at him and he noted how nice she looked in traditional clothing. Shaking the thoughts away, he held his glare and scoffed.

"Keh. Whatever, wench. What are you doin' out here anyway? Shouldn't you be with Sango or that bastard or somethin'?" Kagome smiled at his brash tone and shook her head gently. Loose strands of hair fell over her eyes and she brushed them away as she leaned on the base of the tree and slid down to the ground. She stared out at the birds over the trees and smiled.

"Will you go on a walk with me?" she asked quietly. Inuyasha hesitated, considering telling her to leaving him alone, before he fell soundlessly to the ground next to her and held out a hand. Smiling at him, she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her carefully to her feet. Brushing off her kimono, she started in the direction that she wanted to walk. There was something she wanted to show him.

As they walked, she waved at a soldier and turned to smile at Inuyasha to see him glaring over her head. Confused, she looked to where he was glaring, but saw nothing.

"What's up, Yasha?" she asked as she touched his arm. He glanced down at her and rubbed the back of his head with a shrug.

"Ah, they're my brother's army. My brother hates me. I've been avoiding them ever since I got here because they're going to start some shit and I have to behave while I'm here. In Nishi, I'm the prince of the West, the heir in case of a freak accident takes out Sesshoumaru. Much as I hate it, I have to uphold a certain image here." Inuyasha's voice was nonchalant and Kagome cast a glance at the men. They were smiling and waving at her so kindly; she couldn't help but smile back.

"These men aren't like that, Inuyasha. They have accepted me into their dojo and allowed me to train with them; me, a lowly human. I am sure that they would not scorn you if were to approach them," she said with certainty as she took his hand and led him toward their destination. He wrapped his hand around hers, swallowing her small one in his huge one, and smiled at the feeling. It felt right, but it felt wrong at the same time. After a moment, he released her hand and pulled his own away. She barely looked back at him before she clasped her hands tightly in front of her and took her first step into the rose garden in months.

Inuyasha noticed her change in scent and the way her body tightened as they moved about the rose bushes. Unlike the rest of the castle grounds, her scent was very faint here. All the scents here were stale, very old. The most prominent of them, which was still incredibly weak, was the faint smell of blood He had to really concentrate to smell it. Glancing around with sharp eyes, he tried to find where the smell was coming from. The smell was too faint for her to be bleeding now. He looked at his best friend's back with concern and suspicion as they rounded a corner around some yellow roses and she stopped.

Her shoulders were shaking. Worried, he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder to turn her around. She was staring wide eyed at a patch of grass a few feet away. When he stepped toward it, he could tell that it was the source of the blood. It had soaked into the top layer of soil. He looked at the ground with wide eyes of horror. He whipped his head around and stared at Kagome. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and she shook hard.

"Naraku implanted a shard in one of the servants that had snuck out of the castle," she started slowly, her voice tight. "She attacked Rin and Shippou. I fought her and we fought. When Naraku realized that she was going to lose, he used the power of the jewel to crush and collapse her windpipe so that she was couldn't breath."

Kagome touched her own throat without realizing it. "I tried to get the jewel out, but it was buried so deep in her neck that removing it killed her. I healed the wound as much as I could and then I did CPR," she turned and grinned a little at him, "Remember, the chest pumping that I taught you to do if someone stopped breathing?" Inuyasha nodded and swallowed, wetting his dry throat as he listened to the rest of her tale.

"Well, I did that, and it didn't do anything. She died here," Kagome kneeled and touched the lush green grass. Her smile was distant and sad. Inuyasha walked over to her crouching body and touched her shoulder gently. She put her hand over his and stood slowly.

"For so long, I had to rely on you to keep me safe. It wasn't until this incident that I realized that I have to protect myself now. Even when I was attacked in the woods after I started travelling on my own, I ran back to camp with one thought in my mind, 'Sesshoumaru will be there.' I relied on him for protection, like for so long I relied on you for protection. But when she had that knife pointed at my children, all I could think was that I needed to protect them. I couldn't wait for anyone else to save us; I had to rely on myself."

She turned and smiled at Inuyasha with a strange smile. It was happy, but it was also sad. A smile that was content, but Inuyasha could see the look of loss there. His heart ached for her and it ached for him because he knew what she was going to say next.

"I don't need you to protect me anymore, Inuyasha. Not from demons, not from humans, and definitely not from your brother. This era helped me grow up and I can protect myself now," she stepped forward when Inuyasha nodded. She cupped his cheek in her hand slowly and turned his head toward hers. Pushing onto her tip toes, she kissed his cheek gently before pulling back and smiling. "Just because I don't need you as a protector, doesn't mean I don't need you as a best friend. I promised to always stay by your side, Yasha, and I will keep that promise. Just because I have feelings for your brother now doesn't mean that I'm going to leave you in the dust and never talk to you again. We're still best friends, Inuyasha, we always will be. I _promise_."

Inuyasha put his hand over hers and a smile spread over his face, one of his small fangs sticking out over his lip. He felt at peace. The knowledge that he hadn't _truly_ lost her lifted a weight off his shoulders. Pulling her hand from his face he held it tightly as he led her out of the garden and back into the courtyard. They walking in peaceful silence before Inuyasha knocked her with his shoulder and grinned down at her.

"Did it have to be my brother?" he asked playfully.

Kagome laughed at him and shook her head slowly. "You can't choose who you love, Inuyasha. You know that better than anyone." Inuyasha sighed and nodded, knowing all too well that it was impossible to choose who you loved. His thoughts flickered to Kikyou for a brief second before they faded and were replaced by someone else.

He'd seen her working in the castle; she smiled happily with a basket on her hip and long hair braided down her back before disappearing around a corner. Inuyasha blushed brightly and shook the memory of the maid him out of his head and glanced down at Kagome. She was looking at him curiously before she poked his cheek and grinned wickedly.

"Is this a blush I see? Who is little Inuyasha thinking about?" she asked playfully, knowing full well that he was thinking about Kikyou. It was nice, she noticed, that searing pain didn't shoot through her chest at the thought of them together now. Her smile widened. Inuyasha knew who she assumed he was thinking about and shook his head quickly, grinning slightly.

"No one special," he muttered as they entered the castle. They chatted a little bit about non-important things as they wandered the halls back to Inuyasha's room. They stopped outside his door and stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Inuyasha swallowed loudly before clearing his throat and lifting his head to look at her.

"I just need to ask one thing, Kagome. Do you… Do you really love him?"

Kagome looked away at his question and blushed as she thought of all the embraces, all the kisses, all the caresses, and all the looks. Then, she nodded slowly. She couldn't help the smile on her face "I do. I don't know what the relationship is right now, or where it will go, but I know that I love him, Inuyasha."

Slowly, Inuyasha nodded and grinned. "Then, I just want you to be happy. But, if he _ever_ hurts you, I will throttle him within an inch of his life. I swear, Kagome, I will. I may not be your protector anymore, but I am your best friend. And kicking his ass for hurting you falls within my realm of responsibilities as your best friend." His voice was fierce and serious, offering no room for argument. Kagome smiled at his protective tone and nodded in agreement. She squeezed his hand once before leaving.

Inuyasha watched her go before retreating into his room and sliding his door closed.

Kagome walked down the hall without turning back and proceeded toward the library. She could sense Sesshoumaru and Hiyashi there. She wondered exactly what Sesshoumaru wanted her help with. He had told her that her only job was to talk about what she and Inuyasha knew about Naraku and attend the ball so that she could be inducted into his pack. Still wondering what she was needed to do, she pushed the library door open and smiled at the demon lord as soon as he came into view. She noted his momentary smirk before he turned to Hiyashi and muttered something quietly as Kagome approached.

"Sorry, if I'm late. I had to clear some things up with Inuyasha," she said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously as she glanced at Hiyashi. His kind exterior had returned and he smiled politely at her. He was walking toward her; Kagome had to will herself not to flinch as he approached and towered over her. Holding her shoulders square and strong, she met his orange gaze with her confident eyes and they stared intently at each other for a moment. Then, the demon general bowed to her and held if for a moment before he straightened and smiled at her warmly.

"I must apologize, Lady Kagome. I was extremely rude to you the last time we spoke and for that I offer a thousand apologies. The meeting of the Houses is an extremely rare event of great importance and the stress and pressure can bring out the worst in all of us. I hope that you can forgive me," he said, his voice deep and pleasant, like a warm fire on a chilled night. Kagome couldn't help the smile that spread over her face and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course I can, I can completely understand that. I used to get really stressed out during tests for my school," she said enthusiastically, missing his mystified and confused look at her. He bit his tongue to hold in the questions and nodded politely as he turned to Sesshoumaru, who motioned for both of them to sit.

They talked for about an hour, mostly about the housing arrangements, the vendors that would be attending the faire and the decision of who would be the West's judge on the seat for the tournament. Kagome was just starting to get sleepy when Sesshoumaru caught her attention.

"Miko, we need your opinion on who should fight for the honor of the West in the tournament. We already have one name and are considering another, but are unsure of who would be best. Your thoughts?"

Kagome slapped her mind awake and went through the records of all the notable soldiers she had worked with and trained against. None stuck out to her in particular, besides the name that had already chosen, and she scowled. His army was amazing, but none held any special specific talent that would put them at an advantage against another opponent. Not in one on one combat, at least. Grimacing, she tapped her fingers against the table and tried to think.

The idea that popped into her head spread a smirk over her face.

"Does it have to be a soldier or just a member of the West?" she asked, her smirk turning to an innocent smile. Sesshoumaru looked at her suspiciously and answered slowly.

"It simply needs to be someone affiliated with our house."

Kagome smiled at this and folded her hands on the table before leaning half an inch forward. "I want to fight then." She didn't even have time to breath before Sesshoumaru shut her down.

"No." His answer was absolute and immediate, flat and cold. It left utterly no room for argument. And, more than anything, it infuriated Kagome. Her eyes filled with an angry challenge and her hands separated to clench into fists.

"Why the hell not? You asked me who you thought could fight and I told you. I can," she said, her tone clipped and angry. Hiyashi watched with curious eyes at the way the two interacted, surprised when the miko argued with his lord. Deciding to cut in before it turned into a battle in the library, he cleared his throat.

"Perhaps the miko is right, my lord. She is strong, I've watched her train with my troops for months now, and she has an advantage over the other Houses. She offers an element of surprise, being a miko, a woman, and a human. I believe it would be wise to allow her to fight. And what a perfect way to prove her place in the House of the West. It is no secret that her place in the pack will be questioned by the other lords," Hiyashi reasoned, winking when the girl smiled with gratitude toward him. He turned back to his lord and waited for a response.

"I care little what the other lords think of my decisions," he stated simply. Hiyashi smiled, knowing he would say that, and leaned toward the taiyoukai lord.

"While this is true, would it not be nice to flaunt the powerful new edition to our pack. Not only is she a powerful miko, but she is the famed miko of the Shikon Jewel. Invaluable as an ally and one that only you possess." Hiyashi caught Kagome's slight blush out of the corner of his eye and continued to smile at Sesshoumaru while the lord rolled the idea around in his head. After a few minutes, the demon lord sighed but nodded.

"I believe that you, miko, are capable of handling your own in a fight against any of the other Houses. I give you my blessing to fight in the tournament. I demand though, that you begin training with your partner first thing tomorrow. You will train all day, with breakfast and lunch breaks, and end just before dinner. This training will continue for the next two weeks until the tournament. Is this understood?" Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly, his beast growling at the idea of his mate fighting. Kagome smiled and nodded in excitement. Forgetting Hiyashi's presence, she gripped his hand tightly. Excitement radiated off her.

"Thank you so much. I promise I won't let you down. Okay. I'm going to go and eat dinner. Thank you again," she released Sesshoumaru's hand with a slight blush, but smiled brightly as she stood up and raced out of the room. Sesshoumaru watched her go and waited until she closed the door to sigh and flick his hair over his shoulder in exasperation. Hiyashi chuckled at him and put a large hand on his shoulder.

"This is what having a mate is like," he commented, smirking slyly when the demon lord growled and stood up and away from the general's hand.

"The miko is not my mate, nor will she ever be," he swore quietly, sweeping out of the room without another word. The demon general sat back in his cushions and chuckled at the lord.

"I will be sure to remind you that you said that, Sesshoumaru."

….

It was late when Kagome finally slipped into her room and stripped out of her day cloths. She was half asleep when she tied a clumsy knot in her dark green yukata and stumbled into Sesshoumaru's room.

The children had kept her up with demands of stories and she would be damned if she could deny either of them anything. Once done with that, Miroku and Sango had wanted to chat about what they were to do during the festivities and Kagome had spent an hour and a half reassuring that that it would be fine. Sesshoumaru had kept Rin in his company for years and the other Houses didn't question it. Once their fears were quelled, she had finally retreated to her room for bed.

Falling into Sesshoumaru's futon, she didn't have the energy to crawl under the blankets and groaned when the demon lord moved her out of the way so that he could drape them over her. Once under the warm covers, she quickly attached herself to his side and fell into a quick slumber. The silver taiyoukai sighed at her and allowed his arm to circle her waist as he rested his head on hers and took in her scent.

"You are so much more trouble than you are worth, little miko."

….

Miasma swirled playfully in the air around the young male slayer as he opened the door to Naraku's chambers and ushered Kikyou into it. The minute she was within the room, the door was slammed behind her and the demon slayer was gone. The clay woman wandered forward idly, no fear in her cold, dead eyes. That was one thing that Naraku hated about her, the emotion that she should feel in his presence was missing because she did not fear the normal things a mortal would. She had died once and the fear of losing life was gone with her. He sneered at her lifelessness and stood from his window perch to approach her. Standing in front of her, he appraised her fragile body for a moment before a tentacle slithered slowly through the air and traced over her cheek. Her skin sizzled on contact and she instantly slapped the tentacle away. With a cold glare, she walked past the reincarnated hanyou and to the window.

"What do you want, Naraku?"

Naraku cackled at her frigid tone and walked up behind her. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he pressed opened mouth kisses along her throat.

"I am taking the miko as a slave," he said simply, trailing sloppy kissed down her jaw. Kikyou scoffed and leaned her head back on his shoulder, opening her neck up for him.

"And how do you intend to do that?" she asked, her voice slipping into a quiet moan at the end as he nipped her neck lightly before continuing his ministrations to her jawline. Turning her so that she was facing him, he sliced open her miko garbs easily and left wet kissed down her throat and across her chest. She buried her fingers in his wavy black locks and gasped as he nipped and licked at her cool skin. He smirked against her clay body and held her waist tightly when he lifted his head to look at her.

"I'm going to give her no choice," he whispered, dark implications in his tone. She grinned back at him, the same evil intentions bright in her black eyes.

"Where do I come in?" she asked, her voice eager. Naraku chuckled at her tone and continued to bite, lick, suckle and tease her until she was a puddle in his grasp.

"Kanna has shown me the future in her mirror. The miko will become weak soon, and with that weakness, will come her ultimate demise," he said quietly as he tore through the thin fabric of her pants. He trails his fingers along her hip bones, shuddering at the fact that there was no actual bone underneath this poor excuse for skin. His fingers continued to skim along her legs as she wiggled and squirmed under his touch. "And once she is defeated, I will make her mine."

The hanyou smirked at the memory of the dreams that he had sent to her. And as he gazed down at the naked woman below him, he imagined her defeated face and her tear filled eyes. He remembered the hatred that sparked when he touched her and the pleading look in her eyes. He saw the utter hopelessness in the deep seas that were her eyes and he smiled.

 _'Soon, little miko, I will call you mine.'_


	9. Chapter 9

The next week and a half flew by quickly for the miko. The day after Sesshoumaru agreed to let her fight, she had been introduced to her partner. He was a large, black haired dog demon. He was a good two inches taller than Sesshoumaru and had shoulder length black hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail behind his head. His skin was tinted with a tan and his shoulders were broad and strong. His hands were about the size of Kagome's face and the bands of muscle that ran around his upper arms were intimidating. His teal green eyes were friendly though and he smiled at her when she walked in.

"We haven't been official introduced," he said with a smile, "my name is Daiki." He shook her small hand gently. His speech was quiet and soft, but his fighting was not. While he was big, he was also fast and used a technique that consisted of tiring his opponent and then striking them down with powerful blows to the neck and stomach. They had trained some in the months that she'd been working with the troops, so they were fairly familiar with each other's fighting style.

Waking slowly, the day before the other houses were set to arrive, Kagome blinked the sleep from her eyes and stretched. Slowly she sat up and looked at the slumbering Sesshoumaru next to her. She smiled softly and resisted the urge to reach out and stroke his cheek. He had been so busy in the last weeks that he needed all the rest he could get. Carefully, she left Sesshoumaru and his warm bed to continue her training. Today was her last day to work with Daiki before the other Houses arrived and she had to be presented. She dressed quickly in training garb and silently left the quiet room. She opted to skip breakfast and headed straight for the dojo.

Kagome spent most of the day doing empty hand sparing with him. They fine-tuned their individual fighting styles together quickly and used most of the time sparing with another pair of soldiers to practice working together. They ate a light lunch just as the spring sun had risen high in the sky.

During their lunch break, the youkai explained to her that the tournamentt was a four part system. It started with the partners fighting as a pair against another pair.

"This isn't a real round; it's almost like a preliminary. Except no one is eliminated, no matter who wins and who loses. It's mainly for the lords and ladies to see the fighters before they place wages on them." He had laughed at the look in Kagome's eyes at the word 'wage' and explained. "They bet on the outcome of the fights, of course. Why not throw a little away on a fight now and then? They definitely have the wealth to spare." Kagome nodded and took a bite into her rice ball.

"After that round, all the pairs fight each other again; two of the houses are eliminated depending on who wins. With two houses left, we'll be separated so we can each fight one half of the pair. The last two standing at the end of those fights, fight each other. The first round after the preliminary is an empty hand round. The second round is a short sword round. And the last is a weapon optional round. Each participant gets to decide independently if they want a weapon and what weapon they want. Usually, if one decided against a weapon, the other opponent will forgo it as well." At that, the large demon looked at Kagome with curious eyes. "What weapons are you comfortable with Kagome?"

She swallowed her bite before glancing around the well-stocked dojo and sighing. "My most natural weapon is the bow, being a miko. I have a decent amount of sword skills, all acquired since coming to Nishi, but other than that I have no experience with anything else. I'm better at hand to hand," she explained as she took a last bite of her lunch. Daiki nodded and was about to drop the subject when Kagome caught sight of a weapon far down the wall and shook her head frantically before swallowing. "No, that's wrong. I did try another weapon in here."

Daiki watched her curiously as she scrambled to her feet and scurried over to the wall of weapons. He watched her eyes flick over each one; she shook her head slowly until she found what she was looking for. Pulling it to her, the demon was surprised to see her holding a small pudao in her hands. It was a rare weapon for someone to choose to use, being that most of the soldiers and demons here were too big for it. They were rather thin and were easily broken when the youkai fought each other. It was more there as challenge weapon when they wanted to test some of the soldiers. Heaving to his feet, he walked over and watched her spin it carefully. She was actually quite good at it.

"Have you used this weapon before?"

Kagome shrugged and smiled as she jabbed the weapon in the air before slowly setting it down against the wall. "My former companion, Miroku, wields a staff. For fun one day, I started to play with it. I spun and twirled it and tried to fight with it. I wasn't very good. That's when I realized that I needed to learn to use more weapons than just my bow. From that day, he taught me hand to hand and the basic ways to use a staff weapon to your advantage. I'd say I trained with it for a few months total. Though the sessions were far apart" she explained, her voice fond and far away. Daiki nodded and clapped her shoulder gently, jolting her forward a little.

"Well, perhaps this can be your weapon of choice then." Kagome nodded.

"Perhaps," she said thoughtfully.

They had spent the rest of the training working with swords Kagome showed interest in. Hew sword skills were mostly basic. She was a quick learner though and while she wasn't a master by any means, she had caught on quick and Daiki was confident that she could hold her own in a fight.

After they had worked for some time with a sword, Daiki ordered Kagome to find the weapon she wished to use in the final round. "Best to be prepared in the event that the other party chooses to use one."

She walked slowly, her eyes intent on the shining weaponry that decorated the walls. She had reached hands out several times, her tiny fingers brushing hilts and blades, but never grabbing anything. Daiki watched though as her eyes continued to stray to the forgotten pudao on the wall.

Finally, she walked over to the discarded weapon and touched with the tips of her fingers. A charm was attached to the end. The little red threads spilled easily through her fingers when she touched it. Her small hand wrapped around the decorated shaft tightly and pulled it from where it rested. It was light and powerful, easy for her wield. A small bell tinkled playfully from the threaded charm. She raised it, swung it, twirled it, and held it tightly in front of her. The familiarity of it was comforting. The shining blade shone her reflection and she couldn't help but smile.

"This, I want to work with this." Daiki nodded in approval and they spent the rest of their training working with the simple weapon. The dark haired dog demon was surprised by how fast she caught on with this weapon, even faster than she had with the sword. The harmless tool turned deadly in her swift hands as she learned how to swing and turn the pudao to her advantage. It was slightly different from a staff, though both were razor sharp at the end, the pudou had a differently shaped blade than the circular head of a staff. Kagome nicked herself several times before she adjusted her movements to avoid the blade. She favored swinging the blade in a wide arc near his head before jabbing and slashing at his feet to catch him off balance.

After an hour and a half practice with it, they were both sweating and breathing heavily. Dark had descended outside the dojo and a meek little maid came to say that the lord of the house requested Lady Kagome's presence. She smiled and nodded to the girl, who bowed and scurried off, before she turned to Daiki and grinned.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. I want some last minute sword practice just in case," she said as she took a deep breath, centered herself, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Daiki managed a grin and nod as he put a hand out to help her up. She put the pudao on the wall almost hesitantly, then she and the large youkai walked out of the dojo together. She waved and smiled before the ventured back into the castle.

The rest of her night was been spent with Sesshoumaru, eating dinner in his study with him and having him explain the etiquette of the meeting and ball. She nodded and made small noises of acknowledgement in the back of her throat to convey her understanding as she picked at the food on her plate. Once he had finished explained all the rules, she told of her training of the day and he nodded in approval.

"I received a list today of the participants from each House. Most of the names I did not recognize, the ones I do, however, are very competent fighters." Kagome nodded at that and proceeded to tell him about the weapon she had chosen to use. She enjoying the look of approval and slight pride in his amber eyes. He scolded her when he saw the small slashes she'd received during training. She waved a nonchalant hand at him with cheeky smile. It was late into the night when silence fell over them again and Kagome's eyelids were drooping.

"Come, it is time to retire for the night. Tomorrow will prove to be an eventful day."

With that, they headed to bed. Kagome enjoyed a short bath before she crawled into bed next to Sesshoumaru. Sleep took her the minute her head touched the pillow.

The early morning sun shone brightly on her face. Kagome sat up slowly and stretched, her hand falling to trace over the bandage on her cheek. It had been almost two weeks since that dream and the burn was almost completely healed now. The minor ones were long healed, barely leaving scars in their wake.

Rising, she smiled down at Sesshoumaru's empty side of the bed. No doubt he'd risen early to finish preparations. She laughed softly at how wound up he'd been recently, tense about the upcoming events. With one last stretch, the miko stood and padded over to where she had set out her training clothes for the morning. Shrugging into them quickly, she glanced at the nicer kimono she was to wear later in the day and wrinkled her nose. She was not looking forward to wearing all those layers.

Once dressed, she sucked in a deep breath before ripping the Band-Aid off her cheek and hissing. Folding it up carefully, she tucked it into a plastic bag and threw it into her backpack. Plastic had not been invented and she didn't want to be the first to introduce it to this world. Fishing through her medical supplies, she pulled out another bandage and stuck it to her face quickly. Crumpling up the wrapper, she put it with the discarded bandage. She glanced around the room quickly, making sure that everything was ready for the day. Once sure that she was prepared, she left the room.

Jogging down the hall and into the entry room of the main castle, she stopped in the dining hall and ducked into the quiet kitchen. The house cat gave a grumpy meow in her direction before turning toward the wall and settling with his back to her. She grinned at him, the memory of her own cat skittering through her brain, before she grabbed a slice of bread. Cramming the crumbly food in her mouth, she continued to jog as she left the kitchen and headed toward the castle entrance. The servants and maids were coming to life with the castle as they started to bustle around with carts of fine china and baskets of sheets and pillows for futons. She dodged around them carefully and skipped down the castles front steps and into the courtyard.

Taking in deep breaths of the already warm morning air, the miko walked across the lush green lawn and into the dojo. She loved being in the dojo, having grown quite fond of the space, especially during the intense two weeks of training for the tournament. Daiki was nowhere to be seen and she scowled, sighing and tapping her foot in impatience at his tardiness. Slipping out of her shoes, she walked to the middle of the dojo and sank into a seated position. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, calming her heart and mind. During her travels all over Edo with Inuyasha, they had come across an ancient miko in a village far from the well. She had told Kagome the secret traditions of priestesses.

Inuyasha had complained constantly during the month they spent in the strange village.

"We should be looking for jewel shards. This is a waste of fucking time," he snarled at her one night. Kagome saw red with rage before, loudly, explaining the importance of this training for her.

"I can't continue to survive here without training! Proper training from a powerful priestess. Leave me here if you want to because I'm not leaving until I'm ready!" She had turned before he could respond. She grabbed her bag, stormed out of the inn, and spent the rest of the month living in the shrine with priestess of the village. Inuyasha left for days at a time, but Miroku and Sango stayed with her. They fought petty demons plaguing the village and helped with chores.

Kagome fondly remember what she'd learned there. Hearing the history, traditions, and practices of mikos helped Kagome understand a mystifying part of herself that she'd never really thought about. It gave her sense of purpose and responsibility. It taught her that being a miko was more than being a jewel shard detector.

There, the futuristic miko had learned to meditate. She had tried many times in the past with Kaede and Miroku, but she could never quite concentrate. She would either be distracted or she would fall asleep.

Taking in another deep breath, she held it tight within her chest and focused her powers to her fingertips. They swirled there immediately and as the miko slowly let out the breath her reiki surrounded and surged around her powerfully. It rippled and swam around her. Slowly, once her former breath was gone, she sucked in another slow breath. As she breathed in, her reiki floated around her before being pulled back into her body. After a moment, the air was clear again and Kagome was still on the floor.

Heavy clapping from the doorway made Kagome jumped up, startled. Whipping around, she glared at her demon partner and walked over to punch him in the arm playfully.

"Don't scare me like that, you jerk," she growled. The demon laughed heartily at her and ruffled her hair with a large hand.

"Lighten up, little one. You will do fine today. Now, come, we are going to work with the sword for an hour and the pudao for two. By then, the Houses will be near and you will need to bath and change." Kagome nodded to him. They spent the next ten minutes stretching, warming their muscles and preparing them for exercise. Once loose and limber, she retrieved her practice sword from the wall. Twirling it her hands easily, she enjoyed the stretch and pull of muscles under her skin. Watching Daiki grab his own weapon made her smiling challengingly.

For the next hour, they spared with one another and Daiki instructed Kagome on how to properly defend with a sword. He could see remnants of Inuyasha's bad habits in her form and he corrected them immediately. She took his advice charitably and followed his instruction the best that she could. Once they were done with the swords, they moved onto their weapons of choice. In his hands, the kamas were deadly. They had sharp, shining blades and thick oak handles. He slowly slid the sheath off of them and spun them between his fingers expertly. His playful grin was Kagome's only reassurance that this huge youkai was her friend.

She held her own weapon tight in her hands, feeling her powers tingle in her fingers tips and beg to be used. She pushed them down though, and concentrated on practicing with her weapon of choice. Her muscles remembered the movements easily. As the hours went by, she fell into a comfortable pattern with the weapon in hand. Soon, the sun was pouring through the doorway and Kagome could hear the sounds of the castle waking up. Taking a deep breath to calm her heart rate, she smiled nervously at her partner before putting her weapon away and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"I have to go, wish me luck," she said, her voice feigning confidence. The black haired dog demon smiled at her fondly and ruffled her hair.

"You will be fine; Lord Sesshoumaru will be with you the whole time," he said quietly before he went back to his exercises. Kagome smiled a little at that and nodded before rushing out of the dojo. The castle hallways were chaos. Servants and maids were frantically running through the entryway and halls, yelling things to one another that Kagome didn't understand.

"Three, Soji, THREE!"

"She wanted goose feathers; she'll have a fit when she finds out!"

"The chickens have gotten loose! Anyone not working, round them up or we have no dinner tonight!"

Kagome dodged around all the commotion and yelling; demons bustling and running by her without even seeing her. After making it through the battlefield, the young miko made her way quickly toward her room. Maids were rushing down the hallway alongside her, muttering an apology every time they bumped her and bowing before running off and disappearing.

Making it safely to the room, she threw the door open and closed it behind her. The ebony haired girl was slightly disappointed to find the area empty, but pushed the thoughts away as she rushed toward the bathing area, stripping out of her training clothes along the way. Leaving them scattered along the floor, she threw the door open and didn't bother closing it before she jumped into the warm water. She didn't give herself time to relax and enjoy it when she surfaced. She reached out a hand and grabbed the bottle of shampoo that her mother had sent with her. She hadn't used any of it yet, but she wanted to make a good impression on the demons tonight. Knowing that the scent pleased their sensitive noses, she squirted some into her watery palm and rubbed it between her hands before pressing them to her head and rubbing the sweet smelling liquid in.

Diving under the water once she was sure none of the sweat in her hair had survived, she shook her head beneath the water to get the soap out before surfacing and grabbing a small wash cloth. Sitting in the shallowest area of the pool, she scrubbed her skin quickly to get all the sweat and dust from her body before rinsing off the soap and wading her way out of the water.

Grabbing a towel, she dried her body as fast as she could before wrapping the towel around her long, black hair. Padding into her room, she picked grabbed the tabi socks sitting out for her and pulled them onto her small feet. She looked at the three layer kimono that she would need to put on and sighed.

"This is entirely too much clothing," she whispered, her voice a soft grumble, before she pushed her sleeves through the clean white layer and tied it off quickly. Five minutes later, she was pulling a dark silver obi tightly around her waist and tying it tightly. Sesshoumaru had instructed her that she needed to show her loyalty to the West in the colors of her kimono. Digging through her chest a few days before, she had found a deep blue kimono with a large silver crescent on the back. Deeming it more than appropriate, she had it set out for today. Pleased with her own choice, she grinned smugly to herself as the miko knelt in front of her vanity.

Happy with how fast her hair had dried, the inky haired woman pulled a brush through all the knots. Once it laid straight and perfect, she bunched it together tightly and wound it into a tight bun on the top of her head. Tying it off with a ribbon, she grabbed a pair of decorative hairpins and pushed them into her hair. One flashed and shined with the little silver dog charm that Sesshoumaru had given her. It struck her then exactly how long she had been here. Holding up fingers as she counted, she realized that she had been in Nishi for nearly six months without really realizing it. She tried to remember the last time she slept by a fire under the star light and realized that the memory was vague. A pang of nostalgia ran through her body and she smiled sadly as she reminisced in the past for a moment. The miko had never thought she would end up in a place such as this. Smiling, she returned to the task of getting ready and adjusted the pins in her hair carefully, until they stuck out and decorated her hair perfectly.

Finished with that, Kagome grabbed a thin brush and dipped it into the basin of water near her vanity before setting the tip into a small dish of black dye. Closing her eyes, the girl carefully ran the brushed against her eyelid and grinned at the straight black line along her lashes. Happy with the eyeliner, she set the brush down and grabbed a small shell from within the vanity. Pulling it open gently, she rubbed her pinky in the lip stain and ran the tip of her finger along her lips. Setting the shell down, she looked at her reflection in near awe.

Living in the feudal era full time had left little room for dressing up. She hadn't gone to any of her school dances and even the festivals she had attended in this time hadn't called for such attire. Smiling, finding that she enjoyed feeling like a girl, Kagome rose to her feet and slipped on her dress sandals quickly. With one last, exasperated sigh, she pulled on the last layer of her kimono. It hung open, trailing along behind her. She checked once more that she had everything she needed, including the chunk of the jewel around her neck. Patting it reassuringly, Kagome nodded to herself and took a breath of confidence before she left her room and headed toward Sesshoumaru's study.

The farther she got into the castle, the fewer servants crowded the halls. There were only two rooms past Sesshoumaru's and as far as Kagome could gather, they were either not bedrooms or they were unoccupied. Tempted as she had been a few times, she resisted the urge to peak in the mysterious rooms and continued on her way. The miko could feel his aura emanating powerfully from his study, like a calling card for her to go see him.

A few minutes later, she slide his shoji door open easily and stepped through the threshold with a smile. Her eyes landed on him and her heart stopped. His clothing was regal and fine, the silk expensive looking. It was similar to his usual attire, but as opposed to red accent there was blue. A large crescent moon was proud on his back. His swords remained, though his armor was gone. His long hair was tied high up on his head and hung down his back.

He turned to look at her with cool amber eyes that warmed slightly when they caught sight of her. A small, possessive smirk crossed his face as he set his brush down and stepped around his desk over to her. She slid the door closed carefully and leaned back against it as a blush warmed her face at the look in his eyes. He leaned over her and stared at the pins in her hair, the rogue on her lips, and the black makeup over her eyes. His clawed hand reached out and touched the silver charm in her hair gently with a trace of a smile. He touched the fine blue silk of the kimono and his hand trailed over the moon on her back.

His beast purred with pleasure in the back of his head as he stared at their future mate in the color that made her indisputable theirs. Sesshoumaru ignored the youkai's thoughts and let his fingers trail through a loose strand of hair slowly.

"I find this color pleasing on you, miko. It tells others that you are mine," he said with a soft purr in his voice. Kagome nodded slowly and swallowed. She reached out and let her hands caress the soft fabric of his haori. She could feel the strong muscles beneath the thin shirt and shuddered. Lifting her blue eyes, she stared at his dark ones as his face got closer and closer to hers. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before falling shut.

Bending down, he pressed his lips firmly to hers and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. She eagerly indulged in the kiss before her small hands were firm on his shoulders and pushing him away. He growled quietly and looked at her in irritation and confusion. He wanted her and if he wanted her, he would have her. She smiled soothingly and touched his cheek to calm his irritation.

"I will not have you ruining my hair, makeup, or kimono, _my lord_ ," she said, playfully, as she stepped away and straightened her obi. She looked at him pointedly before breaking out into a fit of giggles. The taiyoukai growled at her again as he fixed his own top.

"What is so funny, woman?" She continued to giggle as she stepped forward and pressed her hand to his mouth gently. Wiping his lips, she smiled and showed him her hand. Her pale skin was ever so slightly tinted red where it had touched his lips.

"You have lip stain on your mouth," she explained. Sesshoumaru handed her a small hand towel, meant to be used in case he spill ink, to wipe her hands on. Finished fixing her attire, Kagome smiled at her lord and touched the stripes on his wrists gently. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at the touch of her fingers and for a moment, he tried to imagine another female touching him like she did. His beast growled in retaliation of the thought.

' _Kagome shall be the only woman to ever touch us. And she will be our mate,'_ the deep voice said forcefully. Sesshoumaru growled silently at the beast.

' _I have already made it clear that the miko will never be our mate. What do you not understand about that?'_ he asked with clear irritation. The beast snarled at the words and pain shot through Sesshoumaru's head. His brows furrowed in frustration and pain, causing Kagome frowned in concern.

Her other hand reached up to gently touch the small fork between his eyebrows, in an attempt to soothe the pain away. She allowed miko energy to flow into his head, attempting to ease any pain. Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open, tinted pink, and he slapped her hand away and stepped back from her startled expression. She blinked, surprised, before scowling. Determined, she stepped forward with a raised hand. The demon lord took another step back and growled at the girl low in his throat.

' _You deny your feelings for the girl just because she is human! What is it about humans that you find so distasteful? Their weakness is what you hate the most about them. When has this girl shown us anything but strength and resilience? We have seen the luxurious, comfortable time that she hails from, a place where she chooses to leave so that she may live here. A time where she must work and fight for survival. You cannot use her human weakness as an excuse, Sesshoumaru, for it is not a valid one. Why do you really deny your feelings for this human?'_ his beast argued and demanded.

Silence filled Sesshoumaru's head at those words. He was right, it wasn't the girl's humanity that made him rethink and deny his growing feelings for the girl. And as he stared at her now, he couldn't figure out what it was that compelled him to deny his emotions. She was strong, she was beautiful, and they held affections for one another which were more than what most matings were built on. He growled again at the surging pain in his skull and tried to push the thoughts away. Kagome took another careful step toward him in concern, staring at his slightly pink eyes with wide, soothing blue ones. She raised her hands up slowly, showing that she wasn't a threat. She remembered him acting like this before and knew that her best option was going to be letting him come to her.

' _I do not answer to you, beast.'_ He heard a deep, almost disgusted scoff in the back of his head

' _You may not need to answer to me, Sesshoumaru, but someday you will need to answer to her. And you better be sure of your answer because if you lose her, you will never be able to get her back. Inuyasha is proof of that.'_ With that, the deep baritone voice was gone. Sesshoumaru blinked, his eyes becoming more gold every second and the pain in his head receding almost as quickly. He straightened his posture and stared at the girl in front of him. Her hand was red where it had been slapped and behind the worry in her bright eyes, he saw calm understanding. Sesshoumaru felt an odd feeling pool in his chest and stomach and it took him a moment to realize the emotion was guilt. Finding it uncomfortable, he took a step forward.

She watched him slowly return to himself and watched with a calming look as his eyes quickly filled with regret. She smiled, relieved to see that he had calmed down. She let him take her hand when he reached for it. He held it carefully and kissed the back of it. It was rare in demon society for them to 'kiss wounds better', but he had watched Kagome do it many times when the children would fall and scrape their hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was calm and collected, soothing some of his guilt. He paused for a moment before nodding slowly. After a moment, she spoke again. "What happened?"

Sesshoumaru sighed at the question and thought of the best way to answer it. "As you know, I am a demon. Every demon has an inner beast. You have seen mine." Kagome remembered his form, large and intimidating while entirely mystifying. She listened as Sesshoumaru continued.

"In more powerful youkai, an inner beast has almost a personality of their own. They are able to speak and give us advice in times of battle and such. It is believed that our demons are the souls of past demons meant to guide us. My beast found something displeasing and proceeded to argue with me. A demon and his youkai should be in unison, in harmony with one another. When they are not, it causes extreme pain. This pain calls to the inner youkai for protection and the beast will start to take control. I was fighting with my beast and it caused me to lash out," he explained slowly, still holding her bruised appendage. Guilt was definitely an uncomfortable emotion. He flipped her hand over to press his thumb into her wrist; he appreciated the strong beat of her pulse. After a calm, quiet moment, he straightened. "Come, we must go and greet the Houses. The first is fast approaching."

Kagome nodded. As nervous as she was to be around so many powerful demons, she was excited to learn more about the demon society. She followed after him, walking alongside him in silence. Force of habit made her reach out for his hand and she took it in hers gently. He glanced down at her, but couldn't see anything but the top of her head. Her aura was nervous; her fingers shaking against his. He was about to reassure her that everything would be alright when a loud, happy voice caught his attention.

Rin and Shippou, dressed to their finest, were smiling and running down the hall toward them. Shippou launched his small body into Kagome's arms and she released Sesshoumaru's hand just in time to catch the little kitsune without falling. She hugged him tightly and smiled as she appraised his clothes, touching the fine silk.

"Be sure not to get anything on this, okay?" she said firmly, looking at the little boy pointedly to show how serious she was. Smile falling, the boy nodded solemnly before wiggling out of her arms and standing next to Rin. Kagome looked to her too and smiled sweetly. "You look very pretty in your kimono, Rin." Rin's answering smile was wide and joyful as she spun in a tight circle and held her arms out. Shippou giggled at her and started to spin with her. Kagome laughed at them before she knelt down and gathered the children near her. They stopped giggling immediately and stared at her intently.

"Now, tonight is very important to Lord Sesshoumaru. You need to be on your best behavior. We'll go the greeting ceremony and then Sesshoumaru and I have to go to the meeting. Once the meeting is over, we will come and get you to go to dinner," she explained seriously, looking them both in the eye so that they got the message that this was a formal event. They nodded in unison before they smiled widely. Shippou grabbed her hand. Rin trotted over and hesitantly reached out for Sesshoumaru's hand. The icy lord had watched the conversation, enamored by Kagome's ease with the children. It never ceased to amaze him how nurturing she was with two children that weren't her own.

He watched Rin step toward him. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and nodded slowly, enjoying the bright look in her eyes and the childish grin that spread over her lips as she reached out and took his hand in the same fashion that the kit had grabbed the miko's. Glancing at the girl, he scoffed quietly at her approving smile as she began to lead the red headed boy down the hall. Sesshoumaru swept after her with Rin's hand holding his tightly. A few minutes later, Jaken came running down the hall and, upon seeing them, bowed and asked the children to follow him. Kagome kissed Shippou's cheek gently, whispering that she was excited to see him at dinner, before pushing him toward Jaken and smiling. The two kits smiled back and ran down the hall with the imp eagerly. Kagome smiled after them before smiling at the demon lord and continuing down the hall.

Walking into the entry area, Kagome was taken aback by the transformation it had gone under. Large, regal tapestries were hung on the walls, woven with epic scenes of dog demons fighting or howling at the moon. The servants were lined up along the walkway and they all bowed as Sesshoumaru lead Kagome, by a hand on her back, to where they were to stand to greet the other houses. Sesshoumaru had explained to her a few days ago that each house would get a certain number of servants to attend to them while they were here. He had said that most didn't require them because they brought their own.

"It is a trust issue," he explained at the time. Kagome understood the concept, but couldn't understand why the houses didn't completely trust each other. They were not at war, so what reason was there for such measures? She had refrained from asking, though, and considered questioning it now. She rethought it when Sesshoumaru came to a stop and motioned for her to stand next to him.

"We will greet them here, and their servants will show them to their rooms. They will be given an hour to settle in and get comfortable in their rooms. Then, a servant will escort them to the meeting room. Once the meeting has been completely, we will eat dinner and drink and acquaint ourselves with the guests. It is during this time that I will announce you, Rin, and Shippou as the newest members of my pack. After that, everyone goes to bed. The festivities in the village will start mid-morning. You are free to attend them or train. In the afternoon, the tournament will be held."

Kagome nodded at his muttered explanation and took a shuddery breath to calm her nerves about the tournament. While she was confident in her abilities, she knew that it wouldn't be a cake walk. She knew that it was going to take everything she had to fight the best demons of the three other houses. She was about to turn and ask Sesshoumaru when the first house was set to arrive when a familiar aura caressed her own and made her stiffen. She turned her head sharply and looked out the far off door with strained blue eyes.

Jewel shards. They were approaching slowly, two of them, at a walking pace toward the castle. They were close, really close. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion about the aura and the power of the jewels, wondering why they were here and now and she turned to Sesshoumaru to ask. His amber eyes were playful and mocking, a ghost of a smirk on his pale lips. She scowled at him and poked his side hard.

"Why didn't you tell me that Kouga would be here?" she hissed between her teeth, attempting to keep a polite smile. Sesshoumaru chuckled quietly and Kagome glared.

"I had assumed that you knew that the wolf is the Lord of the East." Kagome growled quietly under her breath before huffing and turned away from him.

She hated it when he was right.

Seconds later, the first of the wolves entered the castle. They eyed the finery wearily, not used to the pomp and luxuries of a castle. Kagome easily recognized Ginta and Hakkaku when they passed through the door and their eyes trained on her. Their usual pelts and furs were traded in for finer clothes and traditional clothing. They still had soft furs draped over their shoulders though that were much less matted and dirty than their normal ones.

They grinned at her happily and waved a little, not able to say anything at the moment. Kagome could see the curiosity and confusion burning in their light, feral eyes and she sighed warily at the promise of Kouga's outburst at the sight of her. She braced herself when she felt his aura and the jewel shards pass through the threshold of the castle. Their eyes met almost immediately and Kagome watched the curious twist in his face before he broke their locked gazes and looked down at the wolf on his arm. Kagome followed his eyes and was surprised to see Ayame hold his arm formally.

Her traditional pigtails were decorated with pins and she was in an apple green kimono that brushed the floor, a pure while pelt wrapped around her shoulders. Kagome could see through the heavy fabric of the kimono though, the gently baby bump that swelled Ayame's belly. Glancing back at Kouga, she looked up and down his clean appearance. He was dressed much like Sesshoumaru, with a fur hanging down his back and almost to the floor. He had a sword on his hip and Kagome was surprised to see him wearing shoes. She had never seen Kouga looking so civilized. She looked at his clean, brushed hair was the tied high on his head. His headband was absent and through his bangs, she could see the dark green of his demon mark on his forehead. She wondered for a moment what it was before she pushed the thoughts away as they stopped in front of her and Sesshoumaru. She looked at Kouga with an amused smile and one raised brow.

The demon lord had watched the emotions play over the miko's face and was glad to see that she was not angry about the presence of the wolf. Moving his eyes to the pair in front of him, him and Kouga bowed to each other as Kagome bowed to Ayame. They grinned at each other as they bowed their heads and tried to hold in giggles. Turning to Kouga, Kagome half bowed at the same time Sesshoumaru half bent to the red headed wolf. Once they had all straightened, Kouga took a small breath.

"I am Kouga, Lord of the Eastern wolf tribes. This is my mate, Ayame. We are grateful to be welcome within the palace of the West." His voice was loud and sounded powerfully through the hall. Kagome smiled at her friend and turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru. He bent his head toward her and she grinned.

"We welcome you, Kouga of the East," she said kindly, skipping her name.

' _He already knows it anyway,'_ she thought as she saw the crooked grin spread over Kouga's face and he leaned toward her slightly.

"We have a lot to talk about, Kagome," he said softly, grin still in place and eyes sparkling with mischief and curiosity. Kagome glanced at Ayame's swollen belly and a grin crossed her lips.

"We do indeed," she whispered back.

Within minutes, Kouga and the rest of the wolves were being escorted down the hall by a small bear youkai that stuttered when he said words with 's' in them. Kagome smiled after them before turning to look at the next house to enter.

Kagome could feel their auras wash over her as they stepped up the stairs and into the castle. Their glowing green and orange eyes told her quickly that they were feline demons. They hair was long and untamed, barely bound by clips and pins. Their eyes darted this way and that, a tempting smirk permanent on their sharp faces. Bright purple diamonds were prominent on their foreheads and easily seen under hair of fiery reds and bright oranges and browns. The stripes on their cheeks were blood curdling red on high cheek bones and pointed toward sharp noses. The first few only had one stripe on each cheek and they walked with a certain pounce in their step, as if they were ready to attack on the instant. Kagome felt shivers run up her spine as she caught sight of the lord and lady of the house.

The male was large; his long hair a deep orange that was accented with undertones of dark brown, going beautifully with his caramel tanned skin. His sharp eyes were a deep green that swam with wisdom and instinct. His hair was bound in a low ponytail that hung halfway down his back and a large scar ran down over his left eye. Kagome wondered about the story behind that scar as she turned her eyes to his mate. She was a smaller demon, only slightly bigger than Kagome. Her long sandy brown hair had tints of brown and black. It was left unbound to flow down her back. It swayed in the light breeze drifting in from outside. Her eyes were a brown, almost a hazel, which danced with uncertainty and shyness. Her kimono was a deep red that accented the dark tan of her skin. Her eyes caught Kagome's for the briefest of seconds before flickering away nervously. The miko wondered what was causing this little demoness so much stress. She was still trying to figure it out when they stopped in front of her and bows were exchanged. Once standing tall, the male cleared his throat and spoke.

"I am Taimu, Lord of the Northern Lands. This is my mate, Airi. We are joyous to be welcomed into the castle of the West." His voice was gruff and rugged, but oddly warm and Kagome found herself smiling. Taimu returned the smile before stepping aside and sweeping his arm back.

"And these are our children. The tallest is our princess, Akiye, who will reach her two hundred fiftieth year this spring. The younger is our prince and my heir, Kazuhari." The two children bowed to Kagome and Sesshoumaru with polite smiles. Kagome stared at them, struck by how beautiful they were.

The daughter looked more like her father; her dark gold hair was cut short and tied into small pigtails at the base of her head. She had freckles along her nose and her eyes were a grass green. She was slightly taller than her mother and her eyes held the same warm friendliness that her father's did. The boy was more reserved. His skin had the same dark tint of his father but his hair was the same sandy shade as his mother's. His eyes were closer to a brown than his sister's, but in the right light they almost appeared orange. He had none of the freckles his sister did, but they both shared the same markings as their father. Kagome couldn't help but smile at them.

"The West welcomes you. I am Lord Sesshoumaru of the West and this is my…" Sesshoumaru had to pause and look down at the miko. She peeked up at him curiously, perplexed by what had stopped him. Her eyes were warm and trusting. Tearing his eyes from her, he met the Northern lord's eyes and continued, "This is my companion, Kagome."

Kagome nodded once and smiled reassuringly at the feline family. The male returned with a broad smile of his own and when he looked down at his mate, his eyes were gentle. He nudged her softly and she peeked at the futuristic miko's friendliness and returned it with a tentative half smile. Soon, the neko tribe was being led away by a servant that was relatively new to the castle. Kagome hoped that he knew where he was going as the group disappeared down the hall. Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and found that she was tired. She slumped against Sesshoumaru's arm and hummed softly.

"What sort of cats were they?" she asked softly, her aura spread out to feel for the last of the houses. Sesshoumaru shifted slightly and Kagome readjusted before he answered her question.

"Taimu is a tiger demon; he came to Japan from a foreign country when he was very young. His father died and his mother got on a slave ship that ended up here. She was very popular for her strange beauty and dark skin. She mated the Lord of the North soon after coming here. Since she bore no more sons to the lord, Taimu, although illegitimate, became the successor of the throne. His mate, Airi, is a cheetah demon. Taimu, wishing to stay true to his heritage, left to return home to choose his mate. It created much controversy, but as lord, few could do little but argue with him," he explained as he eyed the hall they had disappeared down wearily, "I advise that you be careful of the neko youkai while they are here, they are known to mate and bed with multiple mates and partners, of either sex. They have an eye for the unique and I wouldn't put it past them to approach you."

Kagome nodded at his words, fascinated by the history of the lord and lady of the North.

"I hadn't know that demons of this time knew of other countries," she commented as she straightened, feeling the first ripple of the Southern house. Sesshoumaru snorted and looked down his nose at her.

"We hold much more knowledge than the humans of this time, miko," he said, his voice arrogant and superior. He flicked his eyes to the door as the strong, ominous aura of the South filled the room. He felt the miko bristle under its strange power. Since the North had entered, they danced at her finger tips. Now, feeling the strange, ominous aura of the Southern house, it was almost painful to keep her reiki in check when the last house entered.

Looking to her, Kagome was struck by her features. They were foreign yet so familiar that it took Kagome aback. Her stick straight black hair hung down her back and was loosely braided. At the nape of her neck, Kagome could see the strange sheen of dark black scales shine in the light. Her blunt bangs hung perfectly over her vibrant lavender eyes and her fangs stuck out over her lips. Three dots decorated her forehead and a single stripe was on cheek. The back of her hands had large patches of black scales that ran up her arm and under the sleeve of her dark plum clothing. The powerful youkai held a certain aloofness that demanded respect.

She stopped just in front of the West pair and everyone bowed. The dragon had a smirk playing on her lips again.

"I am Mei-Xing, Lady of the Southern Lands. I am humbled to have the Lord of the West invite me into his House," the only way that Kagome could describe her voice was smooth silk. Alluring and enchanting as it promised mysteries and hypnotized its prey. It was slightly mocking and Kagome had to fight off a scowl.

Kagome blinked at the name though and knew now that the woman was foreign. Kagome wasn't even sure that she could say that name. As if sensing her confusion, the sleek woman laughed quietly and locked her bright eyes on the miko.

"You may call me Mei. I know how hard it can be for your people to pronounce Chinese names," she said, her voice sultry and sweet in the same breath. Kagome bristled at the poorly covered insult. She reigned in her temper as the elegant demoness motioned to her companion.

"And this is my prince and heir, Raiden." Kagome turned to face to the boy and sucked in a shocked breath. His bright green eyes pierced her equally bright blue ones and she saw him grin. His fangs were easy to see along the straight white teeth. His skin was pale, a strange shade of white that she didn't know skin could be. His hair was longer than his mothers and braided in a similar way. He had two markings on his forehead and a stripe on each cheek. His eyes sparked mischievously. Kagome swallowed harshly and half stepped closer to Sesshoumaru, a warning bell going off in her head. The young prince put her on edge.

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru and my house welcomes you. This is my companion, Kagome." Kagome nodded once, not letting her eyes meet the vibrant colors of theirs. She could almost feel their smirks crawling over her skin and it made her shiver in discomfort. She was glad when they were taken away by a stoic snake demon. The only company they had brought with them as a shaking mouse youkai with a large purple bruise staining her cheek. Kagome watched them go and let out a deep breath once they had disappeared. She could feel the sympathy and sadness for the pour maid with them.

She glanced up to Sesshoumaru and wondered where they were going now that all the Houses had arrived. He felt her blue eyes studying his face and peered down at her before turning and sweeping out of the room toward his study. Kagome looked at the bustling servants that now moved about the castle to help the guests. She knew that she was no help there, so the futuristic miko trotted after the icy taiyoukai.

Grabbing her kimono in tiny fists, she lifted it off the ground to jog after him and let it fall to sweep the floor again when she caught up with him. Taking a deep breath, she walked in silence with the demon lord and wondered about the people she had just met. She could still feel the predatory gaze of the aloof dragons dancing over her skin and she shuttered beneath her kimono and rubbed her arms to dismiss the goose bumps there. The inu looked down at her with emotionless eyes as he watched her rub her arms.

"What are you doing, miko?" he asked coolly, his lips curling at the corner slightly when he noticed her start at his voice. Her chewed on her bottom lip in thought as her hands dropped from her arms and she started to tug at the hem of her sleeves.

"The dragons made me uneasy," she said truthfully. Their brilliant eyes still shone in her memory and another shudder shook her to her core. "Something felt almost familiar about them, but I can't put my finger on it." The demon grunted softly at this and turned his icy eyes from her form.

"I had not met the new lady of the South before today. Their previous Lord was killed in a tragic accident and she was quickly appointed as Lady, being his only child. I had not heard anything about her and never before had met her." Kagome nodded at his explanation, though the unease in her stomach was still a tight knot. After a few moments, they came to a grand set of doors. With ease, Sesshoumaru pushed them open and led his tiny companion in.

Kagome looked around the expansive room in front of them with awe. A large, polished oak table was in the center of the room. It was low to the ground and lined with cushions to sit on. Next to each large cushion was two smaller ones on each side. The silk looked expensive.

"What is all this?"

"This is the grand meeting room where the four houses meet and discuss matters of importance. Each lord or lady is permitted to bring two of the people whom they trust. This year, you and Hiyashi will accompany me," he explained quietly as he motioned to the pillows that they would sit on. Kagome followed after him slowly and watched as he took his seat with eternal grace and she was left looking at each other offered cushion. Having not learned all the youkai customs, she was unsure of what seat to take.

"The right one, miko," a silky, baritone voice said with a slight hint of teasing as the lord watched the raven haired girl try to decide what seat to take. The look on her face had been quite amusing. A slight blushed filled the tops of her cheeks as she scrambled to take the seat to his right and shuffled to get comfortable on the lush pillow. The odd pair sat in relative silence for a moment before Kagome sighed and placed her forehead against the cool material of the table. The demon lord watched this action and raised a perfect snowy brow at her.

"What are you doing, miko?" He heard a muffled answer from the girl, followed by a muted groan as she turned her head to look his way. She moved her bangs out of her face. Nervousness was struck deep in her bright eyes and her fingers continued to tug and pull at the ends of her sleeves. She bit her full lower lip gently and sighed before starting.

"I'm just, I'm nervous about the tournament and the ball and what if I inadvertently offend the entirety of demon royalty and bring shame to the pack and I've never been in a position like this before," she ended quickly, her breath fast and panic rising quickly in her eyes. Sensing a panic attack coming on, Sesshoumaru reached out to hold her hand. He guided her fingers to his wrist and watched her breathing slow down to sync with his own heartbeat. She gulped down one last, deep breath that she released slowly. The tension in her shoulders loosened some and she smiled at Sesshoumaru thankfully. His dark eyes were looking down at her tenderly, obvious concern on his face.

' _Why didn't I ever notice all this emotion before? People say that he has no feelings, but haven't they ever looked at his eyes. It's all there,'_ she thought to herself as she unconsciously leaned toward him. The demon lord watched her carefully. As their faces approached, Kagome could feel his hot breath blowing lightly over her nose and mouth. Sucking in a breath when she realized she wasn't breathing, she blushed brightly and pulled away slowly. Again, those mesmerizing golden eyes watched her every movement as she returned to her seat and fiddled with her sleeves. An awkward silence fell over them and Kagome cleared her throat in an attempt to speak to fill it.

"When are the lords and ladies set to arrive here?" she asked quietly when she realized they had been alone in the room for some time now. She looked to the door and her brows scrunched together.

"They will arrive soon; the first of them is nearly here."

Kagome nodded absent mindedly as she tentatively reached out her reiki to greet whoever was coming and try to decipher who they were. A familiar youki touched hers warmly and pleasantly, and Kagome broke out into a brilliant smile as she rose to her feet and padded toward the door just as it was opened.

"Kouga, Ayame, it's so good to see you both," she said happily once she reached them and hugged the fellow female enthusiastically. The red wolf returned the hug eagerly and smiled brightly at her human friend. While Ayame had once considered Kagome a rival for Koga's affection, the animosity had long since passed and Ayame was glad that she could be friends with woman. Surrounded by wolves all the time, despite being one, could get tiresome and the demoness was excited to get some time with her friend.

"Kagome, it's so good to see you as well. It's been so long, what are you doing here? Especially with Sesshoumaru?" the she-wolf lowered her voice when she said his name, her eyes flickering to him for half a second before returning to her miko friend. Kagome smiled and cast her own eyes to the demon who was conversing pleasantly with Kouga about something she couldn't hear. She shrugged with her eyes still pinned to him and smiled.

"It's a long story, maybe while you're here I can tell you," she said softly, finally ripping her eyes from the silver dog demon and looking at the wolf. Ayame saw the look in her eyes, the same look she used to see her parents give each other. She just smiled though and kept her mouth shut. There would be plenty of time later to interrogate the little miko.

The small group chatted pleasantly amongst themselves for a few more minutes until the deep creak of the door alerted them that another lord had arrived. Taimu stuck his massive head in and smiled nicely at them, his fangs poking out from under his lips and giving him the look of a playful kitten. Kagome placed a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling; the image in her head of him playing with a ball of string was priceless. Calming herself, she bowed slightly as he approached and grinned. He was dressed less formally than before and his long hair that had been previously tied high on his head was now braided down his back. He seemed happy, a smile still dancing on his lips as he approached and clapped a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, jostling him a little.

"Sesshoumaru, my boy, it's so good to see you," he boomed loudly, a hearty laugh following the statement as he retracted his hand and motioned forward the two people that had followed him. One of the cats that had come in before Taimu earlier walked slowly into the room and looked around with shifted yellow eyes. The other was the young princess of the North. She had a nervous smile on her face and she walked slowly toward her father. Kagome smiled at her encouragingly before she turned back to Taimu.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord of the North," she said formally, trying to tame down the smile on her lips. The tiger demon's eyes widened for a moment before he laughed again and a heavy hand fell onto her shoulder as well. Kagome's knees buckled at the weight and bent as her body absorbed the shock of the friendly blow and concentrated on remaining standing.

"Shikon miko, there is no need to be so formal, please call me Taimu," he said earnestly, his bright eyes dancing with joy. Kagome grinned as he took his hand from her body and nodded as she stood straight again and rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Okay, Taimu-sama."

Within minutes, the familiar aura of the dragon's splashed against Kagome's reiki and she shuddered where she stood talking to Taimu. The large demon saw this and raised a bushy brow before he turned to the door and a look of understanding lit his eyes.

The fierce queen of the south brushed her way into the room with the eternal grace of a snake and it made Kagome green with envy. She suddenly felt very plain in the presence of the exotic royalty. Frowning, she turned to Sesshoumaru and raised a brow. He returned the look and motioned toward their seats; Kagome nodded and turned from the dragon to take a seat at the chair to the right of Sesshoumaru's. Hiyashi entered right then, looking frazzled. He shot Sesshoumaru and apologetic look before sliding into his seat. Everyone filed to their seats and once everyone was seated and comfortable, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat authoritatively and rose.

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru of the West, hereby commence the grand meeting of the Four House Ceremonies. We will start with the reports from the house of the North. Next will be the West, then the East, and lastly the South."

Kagome did not miss the angry, but cold look that the sleek queen of the South gave Sesshoumaru and felt a fierce jolt of protectiveness run through her veins. A growled bubbled in her chest, surprising her. She blushed lightly and swallowed the feral sound as she glanced away from the vile woman and around the table. The other lords looked content. Koga and Taimu caught her glance and each winked at her conspicuously. Happy to see that the room was not filled with enemies, Kagome settled more comfortably into her seat and looked up at Sesshoumaru as he introduced her. She stood automatically and offered a slight bow to the entire table before falling back into her seat and folding her hands in her lap. Sesshoumaru took his seat as well and was silent for a moment before he nodded to the Northern Lord. Taimu rose to speak.

A little over half an hour later, Taimu finally sat with a content expression on his face. The disputes between youkai where his land met the land of the South had seen the end of many of his people and he was glad to have settled an agreement with the cool queen of the South to have laws put in place to deter the fighting. Other than that, it had been things about fields and the numbers of babies born and other news that Kagome truly had no interest in. Twice she had felt her attention begin to wander only to be drug back to the present with a question aimed toward her or Sesshoumaru's nudging her gently with his foot. She was happy now that it was the West's turn to speak, seeing as now it would be a topic that meant something to her. Straightening her posture, she glued her eyes to Sesshoumaru as he rose.

"While I am aware that there are many problems that plague the lands, the most important of which will be the first to be addressed at this assembly. And that is the issue of the dark hanyou, Naraku. Recently, he has done extensive damage to the lands of the West and East, as well as wreaking havoc among the villages. The aim of us assembled here today will be to make a plan to cease the existence of this nuisance."

The room filled with a pregnant silence and even the shifting of cloth was uncomfortable. The inky haired miko glanced around the room at the different youkai and noted emotions ranging from fury to determination to boredom on their faces. Kagome didn't miss Kouga's pinched, furious expression. The wolf remained silent though. A frown caught her lips and her dark eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. Why weren't they infuriated by his presence and up in arms at his destruction? The girl looked to Sesshoumaru with confused eyes and she could see his eyes tightening with frustration and displeasure. Finally, Taimu rose and cleared his throat.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, with all due respect, is it truly a problem for the counsel when this 'dark hanyou' has only affected the lands of the East and West?" While Kagome was outraged by the question, she bit her tongue and tried to understand where Taimu was coming from. From the sound of his voice, he was genuinely curious as to why Sesshoumaru would bring this to the table. She turned her eyes to her companion with an expectant expression and he met her eyes for a brief second before barely nodding. Kagome took a deep breath and willed her voice not to shake as she rose and let her bright eyes scan the table.

"Lord Taimu, while yes, Naraku hasn't targeted the North or South yet, what's to say he won't? I have first hand encountered this vile being on multiple occasions and wouldn't be surprised if you, at some point, became the target of his cruelty. He is heartless, vile, corrupted, and distorted by greed. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants," she explained her voice even and calm. Sesshoumaru could see her hands shake slightly against her sleeves and he knew that she was thinking of the disturbing dreams the demon had sent her. Holding in a protective growl, he kept his hands to himself and surveyed the group. Taimu seemed surprised and skeptical of why she had answered his question. Feeling the need to say more, she motioned toward Koga. "The east has lost many in the fight with Naraku. He has leveled villages and slaughtered many. This is more than a problem for the east and the west. It's a problem for everyone if he gains the power that he seeks."

She glanced to the wolf tribe; Kouga looked angry at the mention of the hanyou, but an odd spark of pride was shining in his dark eyes.

"And what is this thing that he seeks so avidly?" Taimu asked; his voice slow with indecision. Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru before fingering the chain around her neck and pulling out the jewel slowly. It shone in the dull light of the room with purity and grace, and Kagome exhaled quietly at its beauty. The demons stiffened. The air tightened. The room stilled. Kagome slowly slid the jewel out of view, masking its power with her own easily. The entire room let out a shuddery breath and slumped in their seats, save Sesshoumaru. His sharp golden eyes were trained to each demon, waiting for a sign of attack or jewel crazed hostility. Seeing none, he allowed his own limps to relax and he returned his attention to the miko.

"I am the miko charged with protecting the sacred jewel. It is immensely powerful, able to multiply a demon's power tens of times over. I, incidentally, am the one that shattered it into hundreds of pieces, only to have it scattered all over the continent. The only three people have pieces of the jewel are Naraku, Kouga of the East, and myself." Kagome motioned to her wolf friend. Kouga nodded gravely before standing.

"Kagome speaks the truth. He destroyed a large part of my tribe and went so far as to desecrate their bodies to use for his own gain. Naraku is evil, and Kagome is right when she says that he will not stop until he has what he wants." Kouga sat back down and gave Kagome an encouraging nod. She returned it before she started speaking.

"He wants to use this power to destroy you, destroy the humans, destroy everything. He wishes to rule and feels the need to destroy it all and start from scratch. We must stop him, or he will defeat us all." With another look into each of the eyes of the demons at the table, Kagome sat gracefully and fell silent. Silence reigned for a moment before a snort was heard across the table. All heads whipped around to look at the reserved Lady of the South.

"Why should we put our faith and trust in the foolish human girl who started this entire mess?" she asked with a sharp edge to her velvety voice. Kagome could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, and had to fight down the snarl building in her throat. Clearing it quietly, she held her head high and spoke.

"I know it's my fault that this happened, that's why I'm the one asking for your assistance. I need to stop Naraku and whether you help me or not, I will defeat him. I am asking for your help so as to make this defeat sooner, rather than later. So, that he does not have more time to destroy these lands. Excuse me for being responsible for my mistakes and seeking to clear my honor." Her voice was hard and pointed, her mouth a painted scowl and her fury dancing in her eyes. The queen of the South sneered at her, and she muttered something that Kagome's ears could not catch. Disregarding the whispered comment, Kagome leaned back in her seat and clasped her hands together tightly. The room was once again tense, and silent.

"Perhaps, we should have time to discuss this new information with our houses for ourselves before bringing a plan to the table?" Taimu offered after a few moments. Everyone made a quiet sound of agreement, save Kouga and Kagome. They glanced at each other angrily, mouths turned into matching scowls.

No more was said about Naraku at the meeting.

The rest of the lords and lady spoke on issues that Kagome had little knowledge on and occasionally they asked her questions that she could answer. Soon, everyone was filing out of the meeting room in groups of twos and threes, leaving Kagome and Sesshoumaru left sitting. Slowly, she reached out a small hand and grabbed his tightly.

"Why don't they care? I thought that once I explained Naraku to them, they would realize that he needs to be stopped. I thought we would be coming up with plans to find him by now! Why don't they care?!" she demanded, her voice hot and loud. Sesshoumaru wanted to wince at the outrage, disbelief, and devastation seeping into her voice. Her reiki was thrashing around her. Sesshoumaru felt her shaking. He slowly pulled his hand away, running gentle fingers along her wrist. She relaxed a fraction, but her posture was still stiff. With a soft sigh, he pulled the girl against him, resting his chin on her head.

"They will help us, miko," he stated simply. Kagome took in a breath and held it for a minute before letting it out and nodding against his shoulder. Pulling away from him, she smiled and stood with a wide stretch and loud yawn.

"Come, we need to get the children, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha for dinner. Tomorrow, I fight for the honor of the West," the inky haired miko said with a grin. Sesshoumaru snorted quietly at her, but rose and the two slowly walked out of the meeting room.

….

A slip of silk slides across the threshold of a guest bedroom. Bright painted lips and piercing jewel eyes scanned the darkness of the room and grinned at the glint of light in the corner. Walking over slowly, the woman touched the finely crafted, ornate silver mirror sitting on the low table in her room. The dragon queen glanced at the slumped over shell of the boy that her master had sent along with her. His eyes were faint and glossy now, as if he had died right there on the floor. She sneered at him and turned her head away from the pathetic sight. Sending a human in disguise with her was absolutely ridiculous, in her opinion. He had little to no mind of his own and could hardly speak unless bid to. She glanced at the body and frowned one last time before returning her attentions to the mirror. Her fingers traced the edges gently and she let her thumb linger on the tiny silver spider sitting proudly at the top of the mirror. The smile grew and her eyes shone red. The mirror responded to her call and glowed a soft white for a moment before flickering with the image of a spider.

"You are in the castle?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku."

"Good, observe the girl. Find out what this weakness of hers shall be. Once you have pinpointed it, report to me. After that, I will give you the rest of your orders. Failure will bring your end," Naraku said with a soft chuckle and a glint of malice dancing in his eyes. Mei smiled at him and gave a low bow. She knew that she could not fail, lest she wish to be reabsorbed into Naraku's body. She nodded once more to his reflection and the mirror went dark.

Naraku smiled at Kanna's now blank mirror and cackled softly. Kikyou had just left his castle and was heading toward the West. While she still refused to set foot on Sesshoumaru's castle grounds, her scent would be enough to distract Inuyasha and get him out of the castle. The hanyou needed the clay witch to distract Inuyasha, just to keep the hanyou from getting too comfortable. Kikyou was a good way of keep Inuyasha weak in mind and heart, which was always a good thing for Naraku.

A chuckle in the dark before Naraku pushed his bedroom door open and grinned at the whimpering that followed it. Chained to the wall next to his bed, a timid dragon shook violently. She was naked, bruises blossoming along her skin and slashes still bleeding. Her once long, beautiful black hair was now cut unevenly; tangled and matted with dried blood and dirt; it stuck out at odd angles. Naraku smiled at the cruel sight and walked slowly toward her.

"My puppet looks just like you; Kohaku, once the spell was finished, looks almost identical to your son. I wonder, could even you tell the difference between them now. They look the same, talk the same, and act the same. The only real difference is, while Kohaku acts dead… Your son is actually dead," the disturbed demon mused, enjoying the soft keening that followed. Chuckling, he turned and touched her cheek softly, grabbing her chin when she attempted to flinch away.

"This is what you get for being so shy and never meeting the other lords. They would know that Mei isn't you if you hadn't stayed in the South all closed up. Now, it's too late. Mei is in the castle, Kohaku is playing dress up as your son, your son and mate are dead and here you are. With no one to blame, but yourself."

Blood curtailing screams bounced off the walls of the castle, trailing by malicious delight.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagome smiled brightly as she walked through the early morning halls and listened to the sounds of the world waking up. She'd just finished bathing and dressing for the day; she was dressed in a light, comfortable yukata with her hair braided down her back. She smiled as she mused about the night before. The rest of the night had been uneventful; Sesshoumaru had announced her, Rin, and Shippou. There had been some whispering, but a majority of the court had expressed joy at the announcement. Dinner had passed without much event the night before, save Taimu teasing her for refusing to partake in alcohol before the tournament.

"Call me superstitious all you want, I'm not taking one sip," she had said, her arms crossed over her chest stubbornly and her mind made up. Kouga shook his head disappointingly. "Never thought you'd pass up a challenge, Kagome." The tipsy tiger had continued to pester her all night, until his timid mate apologized and lead his singing form off to bed. Kagome snickered at the memories and half heartedly hoped that Taimu would have a wonderful hangover this morning. She giggled at the idea of the youkai curled up under a blanket and whimpering at his headache.

"I don't know if demons even get hungover," she mumbled to herself as she pushed open the heavy kitchen door and snuck into the cooking area quietly. The angry brown cat still sat on the window sill, his eyes cracked open and his furry mouth twisted in an ever present scowl. Kagome ran her hand gently over his spine and grinned when he arched his back into her hand. Scratching his head once, she grabbed the last of the apples from a small bucket at the end of the low counter. Biting into it as she exited the room, she wondered when the rest of the castle would wake up. Sesshoumaru had been gone when she had awoken, and the children were still asleep. The ebony haired girl shrugged the thoughts away, however, and exited the castle into the warm morning. These warm mornings definitely spoke of the beautiful summer to come and Kagome could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. Much as she loved the winters in the feudal era, with pure, white snow that was untouched and untainted by the pollution and grime of her time, Kagome loved the summer time. She adored the beautiful sunny days and warm nights. She was very excited for the days to come.

It didn't take long for Sango and Miroku to join her. They were dressed casually and smiling easily.

"I'm excited to see Nishi," Miroku commented while they walked toward the village. The guards at the gates nodded before one of them motioned her over. He leaned close to whisper in her ear.

"The lord wants you to be careful. A servant will follow behind you in case something happens." Kagome nodded and thanked him quietly. Sango and Miroku looked at her curiously when she fell in place beside them. She waved nonchalantly.

"Sesshoumaru is worried with all the strange people in town." They nodded knowingly.

"It's strange to see this protective side of him," Miroku pointed out. Kagome thought about it for a moment and shrugged. It wasn't at all out of the ordinary for her, though she could see why it would surprise her companions.

"He's always like this. He knows I can take care of myself, but he worries." The miko missed the surprised look that Sango and Miroku shared.

The village was bustling with activity. Everyone in the village was among the streets, selling their wares and milling about. The additional members of the other courts only served to crowd the streets more. It was amazing, though, to see all the different booths and tables set up. Everything from fabric to weapons were on display, and everything in between. The smells of different foods filled the air. Music was playing, though none of them could pinpoint where it was coming from.

The small group of three meandered along the streets, looking at products and snacking on exotic foods. Kagome teased Sango for looking at fabric for a wedding dress. The slayer blushed bright red and stuttered a lame excuse before shuffling away from the booth.

Around noon, Rin and Shippou appeared out of the fray, smiling widely.

"We didn't think we'd ever be able to find you," Rin admitted. "Shippou was able to feel your aura though."

Shippou nodded enthusiastically. "I tried to smell for you, but there's too much going on." Kagome ruffled his hair and smiled at him proudly.

"Good job finding us." The fox kit beamed at the praise.

The group of five continued to wander among the stalls. Kagome bought a long, embroidered strip of ribbon. It was a deep golden color, laced with dark blue embroidery.

' _Sesshoumaru can use it to tie back his hair,'_ she thought fondly. She folded it very carefully and tucked it into a pocket in her sleeve.

She got Sango a thick bar of wax to buff her boomerang with and Miroku a sharpening stone for his staff. Rin got a beautiful set of watercolors; the woman selling them told the miko about the shells and flowers used to make them. It was fascinating to learn about the different ways people of this era made things. For Shippou, she got a small sword.

"Sesshoumaru told me once that every warrior should have their own sword. You're old enough to have one, I think." His eyes were wide and mystified when she handed it to him. "Be careful with it. Sesshoumaru and I can help you train to use it." She smiled widely at his quick nod. He clutched the weapon tightly to his chest.

Not too long after that, a servant she recognized approached them. Kagome turned to him with a raised brow.

He bowed before speaking to her. "The lord sent me to retrieve you. It is time for you to prepare for tournament."

Kagome's heart immediately began thundering, all the nervousness about the tournament hitting her. With a shaky smile, she nodded. "Thank you. Would you mind staying near my friends while they stay in town?"

The servant nodded respectfully. Kagome turned to her friends and smiled. "I have to go get ready. Shinji will stay with you while you're here and escort you back when the tournament starts."

Sango stepped forward, hugging her tightly. "Be careful. We'll be there to watch." Kagome nodded thankfully, too nervous to try to smile.

The walk back to the castle was nerve wracking. She started out walking slowly, calm and collected. By the time she got to the castle gates, she was near running. The guards threw her concerned looks, but Kagome was past them before they could ask what was wrong. No one noticed as she scurried through the hallways, pressed close to the walls.

She slipped into her room and slid the door shut behind her. Leaning against it, she tried hard to get her breathing under control.

"Come on, Kagome. You've faced much more dangerous demons in actual battle before. This is just friendly competition. Everything will be fine." She continued to give herself a quiet pep talk as she went through the motions of getting undressed and redressed. Her training clothes were leagues more comfortable than the yukata she'd been wearing. That alone helped her relax a little bit. She pulled her gift from Sesshoumaru out of her sleeve and put it delicately on her vanity. She was excited to give it to him and wondered what he'd think of it.

Kagome was still incredibly nervous, but had calmed down enough to look cool and collected. She took several slow, deep breaths to center herself before she walked out of her room. As she approached the dojo, her nerves calmed some. It was just a friendly tournament. It wasn't real combat. She had trained and would try her best, but in the end, everything was going to be alright.

By the time she stepped through the threshold of the dojo's door, her heart rate had slowed down and she was smiling easily. She was surprised to see that Daiki was not here yet. Shrugging she plopped herself on the floor comfortably to do light stretches. She enjoyed the pull and tug of muscles as they worked themselves into the positions that she wanted them too. She enjoyed the feeling of her body warming naturally and her limps becoming loose and ready to work. The girl smiled happily, feeling more peaceful than she thought she was going to.

Lately her mind had been so wrapped around the ceremonies and the children and her feelings for Sesshoumaru and her friends being in the castle that she had hardly a moment to breath. It was nice to be able to focus on one thing. All she needed to focus on right now was fighting and winning. Regaining her upright position, she held her arms out straight before letting them slowly fall as she exhaled. She let a bright smile split across her face as she stretched her arms high over her head and curled her fingers and toes in joy. Her limps now loose and ready to fight, she stood— bouncing on her toes and wiggling her wrists— in front of a cotton sack filled with straw.

Curling her fists in front of her, she held them in front of her middle and face as if the punching bag was going to strike back at her. She continued to bounce on the balls of her feet before digging them into the dojo floor and throwing out a stiff wristed punch. It struck the sack with a muffled, satisfying thump. Soon, a light sheen of sweat formed on her forehead, her breathing slightly faster than normal. She threw her naked heel hard into the sack before regaining her center of balance and straightening her posture. Letting her form relax, she rubbed the perspiration from her face and grinned.

She looked down at her small, but strong hands and flexed her thin fingers. She continued to look up her arms, taking in all the faint battle scars and the light bruises from training. If she looked close, she could see the lightest of scars from her dream. Earlier in the morning, while she had been getting dressed for the day, she had been able to catch a glimpse at the pink scars across her shoulders. They had healed incredibly well, considering how bad the wound had been.

Once she was done looking at her back, she peeled the bandage off her face and was happy to see that her cheek was almost completely healed. It had completely scabbed over and most of it had turned the deep red-pink of scarring. She was glad the injuries were disappearing, but less than pleased with the obvious scar. She didn't like to be reminded of the reason she had the burn in the first place. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around her body and held herself as she pushed the disturbing memories from her mind. She needed to concentrate today.

Behind her, she could feel Daiki enter the room and grinned at his loud yawn. Turning around, she bent her knees and threw all her power into her feet as she rushed the sleepy demon and kicked him hard in the gut.

Daiki had just woken up, having slept through the day to conserve energy, and was not expecting such a fierce attack; he grunted loudly and stumbled back a few feet toward the entrance. Holding his ground, he threw a dark look at his little companion and a playful snarl grew on his lips.

Soon, the unusual pair was a flurry of kicks and punches and the large dojo was alive with the sounds of fighting, snarling, growling, laughing, and breathing. It was nearly an hour later when a cleared throat at the door caught the attention of the sweaty team. They both grinned, silly grins, at the silver haired youkai and clapped hands with each other firmly before approaching their lord. Daiki bowed slightly to Sesshoumaru and watched with curious eyes when Kagome leaned up to kiss his cheek. The demon lord looked at her with a raised brow before returning his attention to both of them.

"The tournament is to start soon. I will not have my competitors famished. I want you both to eat and drink before the festivities," he explained, and while his tone appeared to be emotionless and commanding, Kagome could hear the slight hint of anxiety in it. Worry was tight in his golden eyes as he appraised her training clothing. Unknown to Kagome, he was taking in her blatant humanity. All that she was going to be fighting today was her exact opposite. It was carnal, demon, harsh, and hard; whereas, she was tame, human, gentle, and soft. He feared that the other fighters would take advantage of her tiny form, her human body, and her gentle nature. He didn't know if he could control his beast if she was hurt. He would not say he loved her, but he would readily admit to the discomfort her felt when she was in danger.

She watched all these emotions, thoughts, and worries play out in his eyes before she realized she needed to pull him away from them. They served neither of them any good and only proved to work the demon lord into a knot. The miko reached her hand out slowly and held his hand. She pressed his fingers against her wrist. She raised her other hand to touch his cheek, running a thumb over his markings. His eyes were still dark with worry and she offered a small smile.

"Stop worrying, everything will be fine," her smile grew, "Have a little confidence."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, at the strength in her eyes. After a few moments of silence, he made a small sound in the back of his throat and stepped out of her hand. Perhaps, she was correct and all would be well in the end. He offered a slight nod to her before turning and leaving as silently as he had come. Daiki turned curious eyes to his partner and took in the look of love shining in her eyes and the soft smile playing on her lips.

"You love the lord," he said blatantly, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never expected this happy, exuberant, energetic young female to ever fall for someone like his lord. Not that he didn't look up and admire Lord Sesshoumaru; he simply didn't think that Kagome would be attracted to his lord's cool attitude and sharp words.

' _Don't the humans have a saying though, that opposites attract, or something of that nature,'_ he thought to himself, nodding at the thought as she turned to him with a bright blush as she tugged at the edge of her shirt, her blunt human teeth biting at her lower lip.

"Is it that obvious?" she whispered, as if she was talking about a private secret that no one was to know about. Daiki merely nodded and stared at her with teal eyes that still shone with wonder.

"It's obvious that he loves you too," he said quietly after a moment of watching her. He grinned softly at her startled expression and held up a meaty hand to stop her from talking when her mouth parted. He shook his head and lowered his hand.

"I speak the truth, Kagome. I have known the lord since I was a very young youkai. He has never regarded one as he regards you. Friend, he let you _touch_ him. The only people I ever witnessed touch him were his father, mother, and Rin. And as for his mother and father, it was only a handful of times that they were permitted to touch him," Daiki shook his head, "You are something _special_ to him, Kagome. You just told him to have a little confidence. I feel like you could use some too." With that, the large demon walked past his partner and out of the dojo.

Kagome stood, shocked by the words of her partner. She couldn't believe what he had said to her, how Sesshoumaru could love her. If he loved her, wouldn't he have told her? She felt the little bud of hope in her chest wilt at the doubt flooding her mind. She could feel the flood filling her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. She needed to push these feelings away. She needed to concentrate today. Taking a deep breath of the warm spring air floating in through the door, Kagome steeled her resolve and walked out of the dojo with her head held high.

….

Puppy ears twitched as leaves brushed against them. Inuyasha was seated high in a tree near the edge of the forest that bordered the herb gardens. His bright gold eyes, more brown than his brother's, flickered here and there as he watched the careful movements of the woman below him. Her name was Akimi and she was a little sparrow demoness.

Her orange-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail that swept over her shoulder when she bent down to pick vegetables. Her markings were deep brown, nearly black and her hazelnut eyes shone with wit and intelligence. She was gorgeous. She was the maid that had been assigned to care for his needs while he stayed in Nishi. He had hardly spoken two words to her, and both had been fumbled and ended in a blush.

Inuyasha's thoughts briefly wandered to Kikyou, but he did his best to ignore the guilt that they brought on. While he had promised himself to the former Shikon miko, she hadn't been herself lately. Granted, she hadn't been the way she used to in a long time, but the change seemed most drastic as of late. She would leave and refuse to allow the half demon to follow her. Her body, if possible, seemed even more cold and distant. Her usually dead eyes were filled with secrets and mystery that made a chill run down his spine and suspicious root itself deep in his chest.

Secretly, he had been pleased when Kikyou had refused to enter the stronghold. He needed a break from her ice and hate, from the dead look in her secret filled eyes and the cool touch of her hand in his, but most of all, from the love that she claimed to have. Inuyasha was not an idiot, he knew that the only feelings that Kikyou held were the former flames of her life, much more insignificant than they had been before. While yes, the hanyou still loved the clay woman, it was the same way that she loved him. By the tight threads of a promise and honor and by the shadow of love that was lost.

The white haired half demon shook the thoughts from his head; he didn't want to dwell on his lost first love. He wanted to summon the courage to talk to the beautiful demoness below him. Taking one more breath for good luck, he fell near silently from the tall, proud oak tree and slowly approached the girl. As he got closer, he could hear her humming to herself quietly as she tugged stubborn carrots from the ground. He didn't utter a word as he knelt down near her and looked at the green tops of the plants she was pulling out. Seeing similar stalks sticking out of the ground around him, he silently began to pull them effortlessly from the ground and place them in the already half full basket. He could feel her curious eyes on him, appraising him with a smirk. He looked up at her with deep golden eyes and offered a small smile. She smiled back after a moment; a brow slightly raised and curiosity dancing in her eyes. The two continued like that for nearly an hour, moving down the rows of food and never speaking a word. Once they had finished pulling the last of the cucumbers from their vines, Inuyasha finally turned to look at her fully.

"My name is Inuyasha," he blurted out clumsily after an awkward moment of staring at her. She had freckles on the bridge of her nose. She was still kneeling next to the vines, smiling at him.

"My name is Akimi. It's nice to meet you, Lord Inuyasha," her voice sounded like a bird's song, high and soft. It flowed beautifully and it was easy to hear the mischief there. He shifted uncomfortably, he didn't like such formality from her lips.

"Inuyasha, just Inuyasha," he stated gruffly, his ears twitching. He offered a hand to help her up, enjoying the feeling of her small hand in his. The demoness looked at his ears curiously before reaching a hand up to tweak one with the hand that wasn't being held. Inuyasha grunted pleasantly and grinned when she started to giggle. She stopped and started at him with wide brown eyes and a bright smile. He felt his lips returning the smile. They were still holding hands. He didn't want to let her go. She didn't seem to object and merely held his hand tighter as she tugged him toward the back entrance to the kitchen. The demoness knelt down quickly to grab her basket. She had vegetables to deliver for supper and she wasn't going to let this adorable hanyou distract her. Inuyasha followed after her happily and while no more words were said on their walk to the kitchen, they were more than content with the silence. They were still holding hands.

….

Kagome was nervous. There was no denying that. The simple bread and fruits she had eaten were churning unhappily in her stomach and her hands were sweaty and shaking. Daiki stood next to her; her broad shouldered partner stiff as stone. His teal eyes glanced at her and spared her a smile, as if to tell her that she needed to calm down. Her face broke into a tight smile as she attempted to slow her heart rate. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to concentrate on what Sesshoumaru was saying from the raised dais he was standing on. His eyes were flickering around the crowd of soldiers, demons, maids, lords, ladies, and friends; every once in a while they were land on her for half a second before they skipped away.

"With that, I wish luck to all the competitors here today and hope for a good day of battle. Let the tournament commence," Sesshoumaru finished with a raised goblet. Everyone in the crowd took a drink and cheered, as the competitors stood stiff as boards and watched the referee pull slips of parchment from a large cup.

With held breath, Kagome listened as the referee unrolled the tiny slip of paper and cleared his throat quietly.

"I would like to remind the referees and the lords and ladies here today that this is merely a preliminary round for our competitors. After this, they will prepare and fight the first round of the ceremony tournament."

Hi voice was loud, powerful; it demanded respect. Kagome found it tightening her nerves as he cleared his throat and peered at the small strip of paper.

"The first two teams will be the West versus East." The cheering was quiet, polite. Kagome's muscles were on automatic, her feet carrying her to the stairs of the platform without much conscious thought. Daiki had a large hand resting on her shoulder as he guided her to where she needed to stand to face the enemy. It was two wolves, their grins pointed and their eyes playful. Kagome was fairly sure that they'd met before, but couldn't be sure. She watched them warily, a little bit bummed that she was going to have to fight Kouga's men right away. She knew that she couldn't go easy on them, though. She had told Hiyashi and Sesshoumaru that she would fight for the honor of the West. And she would.

The referee had them bow to each other and step five paces back. Kagome obeyed and fell easily into her stance. Her arms tucked tight into her body to protect her core from any attacks. She could lose an arm in a fight, or even a leg, but a hit to her soft underbelly could kill her. Shuddering at the mere idea, she tried to concentrate on the two demons in front of her. They were bouncing on the tips of their toes around each other, a strange dance that confused Kagome. They were going faster and faster, her eyes losing track of them as they tiptoed around each other. Recalling Daiki telling her to follow them with her energy, she closed her eyes for a split second and got a taste of their unique energies. Strong and steady, as if she was in the forest. She almost grinned at how much the sensation reminded her of her time in the rock caves tucked into the deep forests of the East. Blinking her blue eyes, she watched as the wolf in front of her disappeared from her view. Twisting, she grimaced when she felt claws graze her arm and easily tear her top and the first layer of skin on her arms.

' _I need to be faster,'_ she chastised as she turned swiftly around Daiki as the wolf danced behind his partner. The miko and demon stood back to back as they watched the wolves bounce. Daiki, usually the ever patient one, growled low in his throat and lunged at one of them with a snarl. Kagome followed his example, jumping at the wolf that wasn't being attacked by Daiki. The demon grinned at her, feral and nasty, as he swung out a hand, claws glinting in the sun. Kagome ducked low, feeling the hand swipe through her hair. Wincing when it tugged the sensitive strands, she threw out a punch and connected with the side of her opponent's knee. The demon buckled slightly, the shock from the blow making his balance teeter. The miko took the opportunity to straighten her posture and toss two more punches and a kick at the demon. All three landed, hitting solid in the demon's mouth and stomach. He was growling now, the playful nature gone. A dangerous flash entered his eyes and Kagome felt the fear settle in her stomach for a moment before she steeled herself and jumped back. The youkai was no longer playing; he lunged at her immediately and wrapped his claws tightly around her forearm. Kagome winced at the pressure, the claws piercing her arm, the feral look in her opponent's eyes. The fear was once again a strong stone in her stomach, wearing her down and making her heavy and slow. The demon saw this, the look of fear and dread in her eyes and a mocking sneer split his face.

Suddenly, she felt herself be lifted into the air. She realized she'd hesitated for a moment too long and scowled. Her arm was twisted at a strange angle, caught between uncomfortable and unbelievably painful. Kagome tried to right herself, her center of gravity changed and her mind demanding that she right it. She turned and threw a leg out, hoping to hit her attacker. Her foot found purchase, a deep grunt coming from somewhere below and a snarl following it. She was falling now; no, being pulled sharply through the air. The breath rushed out of her as her back hit the ground, her spine cracking and reflex tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She could hear Daiki growling from her right, and the body of a wolf flew over her vision. It landed with a thud farther away from her; she scrambled to her feet while the wolf was helped to his feet.

"We're going about this the wrong way," she grunted as she put a hand on her back, probing it carefully to make sure that it wasn't damaged too bad. Finding that it was okay, Kagome twisted sharply, sighing at the loud pop. Straightened slowly, she stood beside her partner as they watched the wolves with keen eyes. There was a silent conversation between them, one that Daiki and Kagome were completely unprepared to understand. The dark haired miko turned and looked at her partner with serious eyes.

"We need to work as a team. Trying to take them on separately isn't working," she said, touching her back again. She spoke quickly, watching as the wolves took a step toward them. She didn't wait for Daiki's answer. Immediately, she ducked around Daiki's back and knelt so that her head was just below the small of his back. The wolves were moving, she could see their legs dancing toward her heavy partner's body. She could feel him tense and glanced up at him as he threw a look over his shoulder at her. She offered a half smile and mouthed 'trust me' before she broke the eye contact and concentrated back on the wolves moving.

"Ready?" she whispered, no waiting for a response. She grabbed the youkai's shoulder, feeling them contract under the shock of her weight, and launched herself over her partner. The wolves watched in awe, their movements halted and still. It wasn't often that they watched a miko fly at them. Kagome knew that she didn't have a lot of time to think or even appreciate their shock. She hit the ground with a quiet thud and pounced forward at them; they were still frozen. It only took a split second before they were charging her as well. She channeled her powers easily into her hands, curling the tiny appendages into fists. The first of the wolves swung a hand toward her, claws ready to rip her apart. She grabbed his arm, pushed it away from her face, and threw her left first hard into his cheek. A little shock of her powers did the job, the wolf was dead weight against her. The second wolf lunge at her; she ducked low and watched Daiki's heavy fist connect with the other wolf's face. Both wolves were well and truly unconscious.

Kagome delicately lowered the passed out wolf onto the floor. Daiki was less gentle, he dropped his opponent unceremoniously. It was quiet for a moment.

Then chaos, the entire Western army was cheering and screaming. Claps and cheers and every sound that could be made spread through the crowd of people. Uncontainable glee ran through Kagome, her whole body alive and charged with power and pride. A bright, electric smile split her face and she turned to Daiki with bright eyes and a cheerful smile as she threw her body into his. They crashed into each other like a twig and a tree. He wrapped his large arms around her waist and held her tiny body off the ground.

"You did it! We did it, I'm so proud!" he was crowing in her ear as she strained to wrap her arms around him in return. Her smile falter for a moment before it became a little sarcastic.

"Too bad this is just the preliminary."

Daiki rolled his eyes at her when he set her down and patted her back. "Don't get so down, little one. We have a break now; it's time to watch our opponents."

Kagome nodded slowly as she let herself be led back to her seat. Between rounds, the fighters were allowed to sit with their respective armies and discuss strategies that had worked and what the teams needed to work on during the next rounds. Kagome was excited to sit down, her mind conjured images of sitting next to Sesshoumaru and sleeping through the next round. The miko knew that Daiki wouldn't allow that though, he would want to talk about strategy and make sure that she watched the fighters. The miko sighed heavily and let herself be led to Sesshoumaru. The demon lord's face was carefully composed, but she could see the glint of pride in his citrine eyes. Plopping down next to him, she stretched out her sore muscles and tired to relax for a moment before the critiquing came.

"You did well," he said with a low voice. She could hear that he was pleased and it brought a smile to his face.

"Thank you, I'm glad I was able to please _my lord_ ," she said, her tone teasing and her grin easy. His lips twitched in return but he squashed down the urge to smile at her. He was amongst his army and it was not appropriate. She saw the struggle in his eyes and reached out to take his hand. Holding it for a brief moment, she squeezed it gently before releasing her hand and sitting back. It was time to watch her future opponents fight.

Time went by quickly, the North crushing the South quickly and efficiently. Kagome was silent in her seat next to Sesshoumaru, watching with keen, calculative eyes as she watched the cats of the north dominated the hot headed dragons of the south. Unlike their Lady, the Southern fighters were high tempered and reckless. Stealing a glance at the group of elegant dragons seated a few hundred yards away from her, the young miko watched as the serpent queen fanned leisurely, her perfect tendrils of hair dancing in the light breeze. She didn't seem to care that her team was soundly defeated or that they were walked back toward their seats with oddly pleased looks on their faces. Kagome narrowed her eyes at their sleek hair and dark scales; something didn't seem right to her about any of this. Shaking her head and turning back to clap politely at the North's victory. A small part of her was very glad that the south was not her opponent in the next round. A piece of her brain was confident that the east would destroy the south and they would be her opponents in the end. It made sense that way, and Kagome wanted to believe it, but those proud smiles on their faces made her nervous and her stomach clenched unhappily. Her lips were just turning down when a claw tapped her hand gently. Turning her head swiftly, she looked at Sesshoumaru with bright eyes and slightly parted lips.

"What? Is something wrong?" her head swiveled around again, searching for the threat or the enemy. Her aura swept over the area quickly, seeking for anything that could harm her or the people around her. When she was sure that all was safe, despite the murky aura radiating from the south, she turned confused eyes to Sesshoumaru. He was looking at her, his eyes sharp.

"You seemed troubled by something. What bothers you?" His voice was soft and Kagome could hear the barest amount of warmth in it. With the noise and jostling of the people around them, it would be impossible for anyone to hear him. Kagome held his hand for a moment, squeezing it for support, before she released it. She took a deep breath and flashed a brief smile.

"Just unease. Something feels wrong." Sesshoumaru nodded at her words, his eyes looking to the Southern lady.

"I agree, something does feel out of balance. For now, though, concentrate on your fighting. Any other problems can be addressed once you have won."

Kagome smiled brightly at him, enjoying his faith in her before turning her eyes to announcer. He was clearing his throat to gain the crowd's attention.

"The next rounds are as follows," he said, his voice booming and final, "The North versus the West with the East versus the South. The north and west will fight first."

Kagome rose and stretched lightly before clenching her hands into fists and grinning. Now that she had fought once, and won, she felt much more confident going into this fight. She watched as Sesshoumaru rose beside her. He didn't touch her cheek or hold her hand, but he leaned toward her. His breath tickled her ear.

"Be strong," he murmured, assured that the two of them would be the only ones to hear the warm words. She nodded, offering a confident smirk. Daiki stepped by her side with an excited grin on his face.

"Are you ready, Kagome?" the young demon whispered, anticipation making his voice rise and hands shake. Kagome's lips were still curved in a smile and a determined light lit her eyes as she nodded.

"More than ready," she whispered back as they ascended the stairs of the dais.

The cats were even more deadly than the wolves, and twice as playful. They toyed and teased for much of the battle, striking and then withdrawing to dance and pounce around the ring. Blades were deadly in their hands, being twirled and swung with easy. Kagome quickly became frustrated, Daiki not far behind her, and they knew that the neko were trying to tease them and tire them out. Realizing that the battle needed to end soon, they upped the ferocity of the battle and soon, the pair of mischief makers were flat on their backs, defeated. The crowd once again roared and Kagome felt pride surge through her. They were in the semi-finals, which was farther than she hoped to get. While she was completely confident in her own ability, she was realist as well. Against youkai, she could only hope to get so far. More than pleased with their progress, Kagome carefully limped down the stairs of the stage with Daiki supporting half her weight. Her leg ached where it had slammed against the floor of the dais after falling for one of the neko's traps. Her leg was sticky with blood from the resulting slash of the cat's sword. She still shook her head at the foolishness; she should have been smarter about attacking them.

' _I'm just lucky that I avoided the brunt of it. It could have been much worse.'_ It was too late for regrets now, and besides, they had won. Another smile split her face as she allowed Daiki to settle her down next to Sesshoumaru, whose face was cold. His eyes were twisted in displeasure. She smiled sheepishly at him as she rested against the cushions spread out around her and grunted in pain.

"You were foolish," he muttered, though the usual distain was absent behind it. Kagome smiled at him a little wider and nodded her head as she adjusted and leaned further into the pillows to watch the next fight. A servant settled next to her immediately, tending to the wound on her leg. Kagome sat up during the process, aiding the healing with a burst of miko energy. It didn't heal her all the way, but closed the wound enough for her to continue fighting. The servant finished quickly, bowed, and left. Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly before turning his attentions back to her leg and prodded it gently to see where it hurt and what the extent of the damage was. Kagome watched him attentively, her heart warming at the sight of him taking care of her. Even if it was in his own weird way. With a nod, showing that he was satisfied with his examination, he straightened slightly and looked at her.

"There is no permanent damage," his voice was cool and collected, "I advise that you be more careful now. I don't want it to reopen."

Kagome smiled and nodded at him. Sitting back again, she sighed happily and settled in to watch the next battle.

It was nothing and everything that she had expected. After watching the last fight with the South, every person in the crowd had expected the East to throttle the South. Kagome had gotten a strange feeling from their attitudes after the fight though, and she had been right. The South had summoned some unknown strength from above and destroyed the East thoroughly and completely in less than ten minutes. The wolves had needed assistance to get off the dais and the crowd was completely silent for an awkward moment before the expected, subdued applause spread through the arena.

Kagome watched, with wide eyes and a slight pinch of terror, as the South descended the steps and returned to their place with their queen. It slowly sunk in that these beasts were what she was to face in the next round. And next time, it would be alone. Unease, terror, trepidation, all the feelings of nervous fright filled her for a moment and her heart stopped as she imagined the horror they could wreak on her body. She turned frantic eyes to stare at Sesshoumaru. Beneath his collected appearance, she could tell that he was suspicious as well. He looked down at her, taking in her panicked expression. Reaching out a hand, he touched her fingers lightly.

"You will do fine, Kagome. You are strong and you are proud," he muttered with a gentle voice that had the least bit of warmth seeping into it. Nodding slowly, Kagome rose from her seat as he announcer called her name and the name of the dragon, Genji. She watched as the dais was split into two and the two halves were pushed ten feet apart from one and other. This was so she and Daiki could fight at the same time but not as a team. It meant that not only was she on her own, but she had half the space to fight with. Her heart beat once painfully hard before she gulped down a breath and forced herself to calm down. She wrapped small hands around the weapon handed to her. This was just another fight, with just another opponent. She could do this.

She had to do this.

…

Inuyasha squeezed Akimi's hand one last time with a small smile before he turned and left the infirmary. He had heard the horn sound for the final fight a few moments ago and knew that he needed to be there for Kagome, even if he was uncomfortable among his brother's army and court. Walking down the path to the crowd, he weaved his way through people carefully before he settle down beside his brother, watching as Kagome, who was covered in sweat and obviously exhausted, stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for the dais to once again become whole. He glanced at his brother and smirked at the pinched look on his brother's usually smooth face.

"How is she doing?"

Sesshoumaru returned the glance before grunting quietly.

"She has made it to the finals. She narrowly beat the first of the dragons. Daiki lost, so she advances to the final to fight the last of the South's fights. She is tired and I believe that one of her ribs may be broken, but she is doing well. I am pleasantly surprised by her aptitude with the weapon she chose." The demon lord glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eyes. "You missed a good battle. I am wary, however, of this next battle. The south has proven to be conniving and underhanded. I fear for her safety."

He didn't know why he was telling his half brother this, but he felt that the half demon would understand his worry, after spending so much time in the miko's company. Inuyasha nodded as he watched her take her first step up the stairs, a hand holding her side carefully. Sesshoumaru watched too, eyes keen and sharp with concern and disapproval. Inuyasha smirked at the look and was surprised to realize that his cold hearted brother really did care about Kagome. A pang of jealousy ran through his chest when he noticed Kagome looking to Sesshoumaru and smiling.

Not too long ago, that smile could have been for him. He shook his head against the thought though and pushed it far from his mind. He had lost his chance with the girl from the future and he would have to accept that. She had, against all odds, fallen for his bastard half brother and there was nothing he could do to change it. Pushing the thoughts away, he let his eyes sweep over the crowd and took in all the faces of the people looking at the fighters. Koga was watching intently, Ayame holding his hand tightly as she stared with bright green eyes as well. Sango and Miroku sitting next to each other and leaning toward the stage with anticipation shining in their eyes. He looked around at faces he didn't recognized, all their eyes trained on the middle of the arena while silence captured the crowd. Everyone waited with baited breath for the fight to begin. Making the full loop around the arena, he looked once again at Sesshoumaru, whose eyes were the most bright and attentive. Finally, he looked at Kagome and silently willed her to win.

Beside him, Sesshoumaru stared at the little miko that had gotten so close to him with tightness in his chest. This emotion that had been afflicting him for days was starting to become more and more familiar and as he stared at the girl, he realized what it was. It was the side effects of affection for the girl. For a long time, he had believed that none could, or would, have the patience to try to get close to him. Rin did not count, for she was a child and it was basic pack instinct to want to protect and care for her. She was an orphan and dog demons were pack creatures; her helplessness called to his instinctual, more protective side. While he was usually a solitary creature, he could not ignore his need, or basic desire, for the company of pack. Thus he had Jaken and Rin, along with Ah-Uhn. And that had been enough. Until this little drop of a woman had come into his world and changed the entire order of his life.

' _This is okay though,'_ he decided, as he watched her stretch and prepare for the fight. She was strong. She was motherly, from everything he had seen from her caring for the rest of his pack. And she had the same affections for him; he had seen this for himself.

' _Take her, take her,"_ his beast chanted happily in the back of his mind, pleased with this turn of events. Sesshoumaru chose to ignore the beast and concentrate on the miko as the horn sounded again. He would address these feelings for the girl later. Now, he needed to watch the miko fight.

…

Kagome's heart was beating in her ears and her stomach clenching tightly. She stepped forward and holding her weapon tightly and staring her opponent square in the eye.

It was time for the fight to begin.


	11. Chapter 11

Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt and her arms were numb with pain. One of them dangled uselessly at her side, it tingled painfully and when she moved, it felt like a noodle. She was fairly sure that it was dislocated. Thanking her medical knowledge, she held the elbow tightly and pushed the limb back into its proper socket. She bit back a groan and quickly tried to extend her arm and wiggled her fingers. Satisfied that it was at least back in place, she reached up a hand to wipe her face. Blood was running from her forehead and getting into her eyes, making it hard to see. Once she could see properly again, she tried to focus on the enemy that was swaying in front of her. Or maybe she was swaying, she couldn't tell. She was too tired to tell.

The fight had been going on for nearly half an hour and while both were exhausted and in pain, neither was near giving up. Their weapons had long been forgotten, both of them laying on the ground outside the ring. Both were slumped on opposite sides of the fighting stage, catching their breath and trying to decide how best to proceed. Her opponent was the smaller, much quieter of the dragon team. His name was Kazue and he everything but merciful. He had been tricky, pulling moves that were borderline illegal, such as throwing her high into the air and letting her dent the stage, which resulted in the gash on her forehead that was near blinding her. She had known from the beginning that the dragons were sly and needed to be watched, but she had never expected that kind of behavior. Coughing once, wincing at the pain it ignited in her side, she forced herself to straighten and inch toward her opponent. He stepped forward as well, his own body moving fluidly while she jerked around the jabs he aimed at her soft belly and aching sides. Dodging around a well-placed punch; she looked up into his dark eyes and saw the furious desperation shining in them. Only then did she realize what this battle really meant for her young opponent. The lady of the South was a vicious woman, if her instincts told her anything, and the life of this dragon may very well ride on the outcome of this battle. Pushing the depressing thoughts from her mind, she steeled her determination and swung a fist back at the dragon, catching him under his chin, surprising and sending him stumbling back. There was a single whoop from Inuyasha in the crowd and a crass comment she didn't hear but she smiled none the less. It was nice to be reminded that she had support.

Jumping back, she ducked from a kick and threw him off balance with a sweep of her leg. He jumped over it and hit her jaw with a well-aimed kick. Kagome's head snapped to the side and blood filled her mouth. She shuffled back, turning her head to spit out a mouthful of blood. She was mildly surprised to feel a tooth fall out as well. She pushed away her shock and wiped the blood off her chin.

They were tiring, they were losing steam, and this fight needed to end now. It was now or never. Moving forward with surprising speed and grace considering her injuries, she clinched close to him. Taking advantage of his shock at her closeness, she moved back to slam a fist into his cheek. His hands came up instinctually and wrapped tightly around her arm. She could feel his youkai rising to protect him, even as he lost consciousness. Realizing a second too late that she needed to get away from him, she could do little more than gasp before screaming as her arm was twisted sharply in opposite directions by each hand and the bones beneath the skin were crushed and mangled. Hectic gasps and groans pour and tumble out of her mouth as the beast released her arm and allowed her to stumble back.

One of her arms was completely useless now while the other, though relocated, still felt like a flimsy noodles. Tears streamed down her face and she, for a split second, thought about forfeiting. Then she remembered the looks on the court faces when she had arrived. The suspicion, the mockery, and the laughter in their eyes as they stared at her plain mortality. No, there was no giving up in this fight. It was either knock out or death for one of them and that was the only way that this fight was ending.

Lifting her eyes, she stared into the lost, blank green eyes of the beast in front of her and she knew what she needed to do. She hadn't used her spiritual powers too much up until now. She wanted to fight with her own strength, not the added help of her powers. Her opponents had only used their born strength and none of their powers, why should she use hers? The opponent in front of her called on the power of his demon though, so it was more than fair that she use her own powers.

Pushing herself to her feet with her less injured left arm, she swayed a little and tried to concentrate on her enemy. She was frightened by the feral smirk on his face and the promise of pain in his eyes but she squashed those feelings easily and concentrated on her plan. Focusing hard, she allowed her powers to briefly run through her broken arm. She had hardly enough power to even slightly numb the pain.

Kagome watched her enemy closely as he was sliding in front of her, moving side to side quickly, almost too quickly to see. It was making Kagome dizzy. She needed to hurry before he hypnotized her into a state of non-threat. Gathering her reiki around her, she concentrated on letting it fill her body and pool in her hands. This needed to be well aimed and precise if she wanted to finish this with one blow. Ducking under swiping claws, she pushed herself forward and did the last thing anyone expected her to do. She wrapped her arms around Kazue's abdomen tightly and clung there in a tight hug. Her arms were screaming. Her better arm was hooked tightly around her mangled one, forcing it to stay in place, and both hands were clutching tightly around the smooth fabric of his top.

Throughout the battle, she had ignored the sounds and cheers from the crowd; however, now that they were silent it was glaringly obvious how loud it had been. The silence was eerie. Kagome was briefly unnerved before she ground her teeth. She needed to focus.

She had successfully surprised her opponent, he was frozen in front of her, but regaining his composure quickly. Claws dug deep into her shoulders and pushed against her hard. Her toes dug into floor of the stage. His youki was thrashing around her in pure fury and it hurt where her reiki touched it. Every bit of him was pushing her away. She needed to hurry. Steeling her strength and praying that this worked, she squeezed her eyes shut and pushed every bit of her reiki out of her and wrapped it around his body, forcing his youki down and destroying it. It only lasted a few seconds, but the mixture of their powers that was enough to blow the two away from each other. Kagome landed on her back a few feet from him. She stared up at the bright, clear blue sky. She remembered laying in the grass as a child and falling asleep under the warm sun. She felt that same sleepy feeling pull at her now as she turned her head to see Kazue, his body shimmering pink and burned red.

He wasn't dead; she had made sure of that. She wasn't out to kill anyone in this fighting, she just wanted to win. She wanted to prove herself. The announcer was ascending the steps and she knew that if she didn't get to her feet, it was going to be called a tie. She could hear his voice in the background of her head and groaned inwardly. Rolling over onto her stomach, she pushed herself up slowly. Her dislocated arm only slightly ached, while the broken up _hurt._ She was relieved to find that she had full range of movement though. Her shoulders were sore to the bone, but she didn't feel any of the stings of claw punctures. Chalking it up to fast healing from the massive amount of reiki she expelled, she thanked the gods that she was, mostly, okay and rose shakily to her feet. The hush this time was even loud. Then…

An explosion of noise and commotion, people were cheering and screaming and calling her name loudly from all sides of her. The western army had flooded onto the stage and lifted her up high, shaking her and patting her back heavily. She buckled under their attention, holding her arm protectively so that it wouldn't be jostled too badly.

Looking back, she caught a glimpse of Kazue's partner, Genji, assisting him carefully down the steps and toward the South, where she could see his queen seething with anger. Kagome looked away, not wanting to see this. Instead, she concentrated on Sesshoumaru's silver hair coming toward her through the crowd. The army set her down slowly, all smiling knowingly at the strange pair in front of them. They could all see the affection that had bloomed between their lord and the strange little woman. It was quite entertaining to watch as they interacted around the castle and this time would be no different.

Kagome smiled tiredly at the man in front of her, his eyes glowing gold with pride and appreciation.

"You have represented the strength and pride of the West very well, Kagome," he murmured with the slightest hint of a smile. He could see the exhaustion in her form and face, she was slouching with shaking knees and her eyes were struggling to stay open. She was cradling her broken arm delicately.

"Come, miko, you must rest. Later tonight, we will celebrate the victory of the west." Kagome couldn't agree fast enough, even though she wasn't sure she'd be able to make it to her room on her own. Luckily, Sesshoumaru offered an arm to her and she half collapsed onto it as she trudged toward the castle. She was tired, there was no doubt. The adrenaline was filtering out of her body and it left her muscle feeling like jelly and her body aching. Even with the loud sounds of a win still raging around her, she felt herself drifting to sleep with Sesshoumaru next to her. Black danced on her vision and she could felt the world tipping forward slowly. Her legs were gone though and her arms were stiff, in the back of her mind she wondered if she'd hit the ground.

The ground never came.

Sesshoumaru's arm wrapped around her quickly, holding her tightly and supporting her weight easily. A ripple of fear shot through him at her sudden fainting. He calmed almost immediately, knowing that she had expended a considerable amount of energy. Especially at the end. Which remind him, why had she waited so long to use her reiki powers? She could have ended the battle much sooner had she simply used her powers from the beginning. Filing the question away to ask her when she awoke, he settled her into his arm, nestled against his chest, and took her to rest.

It took only a second to appear in her room. Pushing the sheets away with the toe of his boot, he faltered in setting her down. Her bed smelt cool and stale; she hadn't slept in it for some time. Perhaps leaving her here was a bad idea, she had been sleeping in his room for so long that sleeping here may result in discomfort. Nodding at his own logic, he swiftly moved from her room to his through the adjoining door and laid her easily in their shared bed.

The demon lord spent several minutes taking bandages from her medical kit and wrapping them around her previously broken arm tightly. He restricted the movement as much as he could, hoping that immobilizing it would keep her from exacerbating the injury. She grumbled in her sleep, face pinching in pain when he jostled her too much. She settled by the end though, face smooth and peaceful in sleep. He smiled a tiny smile, his eyes lingering on her for a few extra seconds. Tearing himself from her, he left the room in a flurry of white and red. He had a celebration to start and a victory to celebrate.

She came out of her sleep slowly. Her whole body was sore and her mind foggy. Rolling over, the priestess snuggled more deeply into the pelts, pillows, and furs nestled around her. Reaching out for the warm body she expected to be there, she let out a whine of disappointment when her hand met cool fabric. Sesshomaru was not with her but she was in bed, which could only mean that she was supposed to be awake. Struggling to pull her mind into focus, Kagome sat up and pushed the heavy blanketing off of her body. Only then did she notice the deep set ache in her arm. Looking down at it, she tried to remember when she'd been bandaged. Slowly, she unwrapped the splint from her arm. Setting the bandages to the side, she flexed and moved her arm carefully. The muscles felt tight and sore, but she had full range of movement.

"I guess my powers healed me while I was sleeping," the miko murmured to herself. She chalked it up to the leftover reiki from fighting Kazue. She was still in her shredded training outfit and there was sweat dried all over her. Feeling disgusting, the girl rose from the piles of blankets, kicking them off her entangled feet as she stumbled toward the closet to pull out a fresh two layer kimono to wear. She wanted to find Sesshomaru and ask how everything had turned out after the tournament. The last thing that she remembered was being carried by someone. Shaking her head, the girl padded toward the springs to take a bath.

Fifteen minutes later, her hair was bound tightly on the top of her head and damp bangs hung framing her face. She'd unwrapped her arm, inspecting and prodding it gently to see where it was injured. Her reiki had recharged some, allowing her to heal the arm. When she was done, it still ached and her range of movement was slightly impaired, but it was better than nothing.

Tightening the ties of her mint green obi, she smiled at her reflection. During her time in the bath, she'd catalogued all the injuries she'd gathered during the tournament. The massive amount of reiki she released helped heal many of the smaller wounds, leaving only the worst of her injuries. The slash on her leg, while mostly healed, still required a bandage.

The sight of the semi-healed scar along the side of her face made her pause. She touched it lightly, remembering the burn of poison. Pushing the haunting thoughts from her mind, she left the room. Navigating the halls easily, Kagome realized that there was music being played someplace in the castle. The deep beat of the drums was accompanied by the loud cheers and laughter. Looking out a window, Kagome's eyebrows pinched in confusion. It was late at night, the moon hanging lazily among thin clouds. What in the world was going on this late at night?

Determined to find out what was happening, she continued on her path through the castle and eventually found herself in front of the main dining hall which doubled as a ball room. Pressing her hand to the large oak door, she could feel the drums beating in the grains and the loud laughter spilled from beneath the door. Pushing against the door, it opened easily and she poked her head in to find a surprise. People were packed in the ballroom, either sitting at the long tables eating food, dancing on the floor to the rhythm of the drums, or chatting and mingling with others. Sliding in, trying not to draw any attention to herself, she pushed the door closed and attempted to find Sesshomaru among the crowd.

Someone else found her first.

"Kags! You were aw-sthum!"

Inuyasha stumbled toward her, a bottle of sake held in one hand and his other arm around a demon girl. Her dark hair was loose around her and her face was twisted into a goofy grin. It was very apparent that the pair was drunk. Kagome wondered who this demon girl was and why Inuyasha smiled at her so affectionately. She didn't have very long to wonder. The room had gone deadly quiet after Inuyasha's loud exclamation and she could feel all the eyes in the room on her. A blush flooded her cheeks and she wrung her hands together as she nervous shifted and tried not to meet eyes with anyone. She peaked up, though, when a body stepped in front of her and reached out a clawed hand to run a finger over her cheek. Looking at Sesshomaru with a shy smile.

"Hi."

"Hello, miko. I am happy that you are awake. Come, it is time to celebrate your victory."

She could tell that he was a little bit drunk. His voice was warm, rumbling deep in his chest in the most attractive kind of way. His body was hot against her and Kagome didn't want to face the rest of the people here; she just wanted to stay here and kiss him. He gently pulled her away from him though, ignoring her grunt in protest, and turned to present her to the guests.

"The victor of the West."

Applause and cheering filled the room and everywhere she looked, she received broad smiles. Smiling back, Kagome waved a little and stepped closer to Sesshomaru. The tall demon wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly, possessively, to his side. Kagome felt the flush intensify in her cheeks, but ignored the embarrassment. Slowly, the applause died down and the music started back up. People went back to dancing, drinking, eating, mingling, chatting; and occasionally, they would approach Kagome to offer congratulations. She took each approach with a smile and a handshake or hug, depending on the person. She settled into the swing of the party quickly, her mind pulled from the groggy fog of sleep. As they went, walking slowly at their own pace, Kagome observed as Sesshomaru sipped at a drink.

"I never would have pegged you as a drinker," she said casually with a teasing lilt to her voice and a grin. Sesshomaru eyed her with warm golden eyes. They were much more expressive when his inhibitions lowered, Kagome noted. She found that she liked being able to see all of his thoughts and feelings, much the way he said he could see hers. It was nice to be in the other shoes, for once.

"I am not usually one to partake in such festivities. It is usually required that I talk and negotiate at these sorts of events. Most parties such as these are thrown with political intentions. This event is no such case. As soon as the meeting is done on the first day, the event is purely for celebration and merriment. So, on this night, I deemed it appropriate to celebrate with my people," he glanced down at her with burning eyes, "And with you."

Kagome felt heat flood her cheeks for a second time that night. Butterflies crashed around in her stomach and her heart beat hard in her ears. She smiled, though, and reached out to take his hand carefully. He folded her hand in his and squeezed it gently. They continued on their way around the room.

One of the things she noticed as they went was the fact that there were no dragons anywhere among the crowd. Sure, she understood that they had been defeated, but so had all the other houses, yet the other two had shown up. The north and the east had congratulated her fondly, shaking her hand and praising her.

Kagome remembered, briefly, the look on the Lady of South's face during the tournament. Cool fury, followed by malicious delight. The mere thought of her eyes piercing Kagome's soul gave the young woman a shiver. Sensing her distress, Sesshomaru looked down at her with curious eyes.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, some leftover nerves from the tournament."

Appearing out of nowhere among the crowd, Inuyasha heard her comment and took a lunging step toward her. The pretty demoness was still curled under his arm. She opened her mouth for the second time to ask about her, but Inuyasha interrupted her.

"I got tha perfect ting for you, Kagsy." Taking a step toward her, that was more like a lunge, Inuyasha waved an unlabeled bottle at her. Afraid he was going to spill it, or worse, drop it, Kagome took the bottle from him into both of her hands.

Experimentally, the dark headed girl brought the opening to the bottle to her nose and inhaled. The smell was sharp, but sweet, intoxicating. Without thinking about it, Kagome brought the bottle to her lips and tipped her head back. She took a deep chug of the brown liquid. When she was done, she licked the sweet taste from her lips and smiled. The effects of the drink were almost immediate. Her body tingled and her mind was fuzzy. Everything was a shade brighter. Clumsily, she pitched to the side in an attempt to take a step. Immediately, a strong arm wrapped around her waist to steady her.

She hummed loudly, face split with a lopsided grin. Leaning into Sesshoumaru, it took her fuzzy brain a minute to remember how to talk.

"Thanks," she said, slurring just a bit. The dog demon looked down at her with curious, amused eyes. His hand gripped her hip tightly, helping ground her a little bit. The alcohol was still strong in her though and she felt a giggle rise up her throat. Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to ask what she thought was so funny, but was interrupted by a loud shout. Taimu was wavering toward them with another mysterious bottle and his wife under his arm. The nervous woman from earlier was now smiling broadly and giggling quietly.

"Kagome! Our little human ringer! It's wonderful to see you awake and joining the party." His voice was louder than usually, if that was possible. It boomed out of him and bounced all around the room over the music. He held out his bottle and Kagome eagerly took this one. After all, if some was good, more was better, right? Putting the opening to her mouth, she took a deep drink of this liquid and recoiled. It was a bitter, sharp, dry taste. Nothing like the sweet juice she'd gulped down earlier. She choked this gulp down with as much dignity that she could, but she couldn't resist grimacing when she passed the bottle back. She coughed loudly and tried not to gag.

With childish grimace, she molded back to Sesshomaru's side.

"That was gross, what is it?" she muttered. Sesshomaru squeezed her waist comfortingly, in an uncharacteristic show of affection, before answering.

"Sake brewed by demons, meaning that it is stronger than that brewed by humans. We use ingredients that humans don't cultivate. It is either very sweet or very bitter, depending on how it is distilled."

Kagome pursed her lips and stared greedily at Inuyasha guzzling the sweet concoction. Moving with more speed and agility than one would expect her to be capable of, she snatched the bottle from his hands, laughing openly at his dumbstruck expression. Once her laughter calmed down, she took a deep drink. She pulled away to take a breath and was going in for another drink when a clawed hand withdrew the bottle from her. She turned to point a pout at Sesshomaru. He merely smirked at her before tipping the bottle back and taking a deep chug. A little dribbled out the corner of his mouth and down his chin. Kagome watched the drop intently, eyes locked on the curve of his jaw.

The demon lord noticed the intent look in her eyes and smirked playfully at her before licking his lips agonizingly slowly. Kagome took the bottle back in a daze and in the back of her mind, she wondered how drunk Sesshomaru was if he was teasing her like this in public. Without thinking about it, she took a deep drink of the sake and surrendered herself for an unforgettable night.

After three hours of dancing, talking, stumbling, drinking, laughing, and eventually, falling, Kagome was completely gone. Her eyes were hazy and her cheeks flushed with alcohol and happiness. She was giggling from her station on the floor. She had curled her legs underneath her to sit in the lotus position, completely content with watching people from the floor. Inuyasha had been laughing too hard to help her up and Sesshomaru was smiling and shaking his head at her. Kouga passed by at one point and plopped down next to her. He drunkenly asked about what, in his words, the fuck was she doing here? Kagome just laughed loudly, unable to get out an explanation. Ayame found them some time later, helping Kouga up and carrying him to bed. Sango and Miroku sat with her for a little while, both intoxicated, before heading to bed. She smirked after them, waggling her eyebrows even though no one could see her.

After a few minutes, a clawed hand was extended toward her. Arms crossed over her chest, Kagome turned her head sharply and refused the hand. What she didn't expect was to be lifted off the ground. Laughing so hard that it sounded like screaming, she kicked her feet and tried to fight off Sesshomaru. He held her strong with a gentle arm. After a few minutes, she went limp and panted against him at the energy it had taken to laugh so hard and kick her legs. Face flushed and gasping for breath, she looked at Sesshomaru's bright eyes and felt the beginnings of heat pool in her stomach. Sesshomaru sensed her arousal and growled deep in his throat.

"Perhaps it is time for us to take our leave, Kagome," he growled softly in her ear. Kagome could only mutely nod as he set her on her own two feet.

No one noticed when they slipped out of the ball room and made their way toward their shared room. It was quiet and for a majority of the walk, they didn't touch. It wasn't until they turned the last corner that Kagome took hold of his hand and held it tightly. He used the connection to draw her small body to his and wrap his strong arm around her. The fire in her belly flared to life at the contact and, since they were now alone, she drew closer to Sesshomaru and stood on her tip toes. They were breathing the same air, their faces inches apart, their eyes locked. All it took was Kagome's small pink tongue licking her suddenly dry lips once before they exploded. Strained against each other, their mouths pressed tightly, they tried to get closer. Sesshomaru nipped at her lips insistently and she gladly opened her mouth and let his tongue slide against hers. Tentatively, for lack of experience, she let her own tongue slide against his and her breath hitched when he nipped that playfully as well.

Kagome barely acknowledge that they were moving, her feet stumbling and failing as Sesshomaru continued to lead her backwards down the hall. He grunted in frustration before lifting her easily off the floor and moving forward purposefully. In the moment he pulled away to grunt, Kagome kissed along his jaw and down his neck. She could still taste the faint tang of the sake that had dribbled down his neck. She licked at the invisible trail. A deep groan spilled from Sesshomaru's parted lips as he shoved his door out of the way. Closing it behind them with a loud crack, the pair fell into the pile of furs and blankets. Pushing everything out of their way, they latched onto each other. Her long, lithe legs wrapped tightly around his waist as her obi loosened around her midsection. Putting most of his weight on his knees, the demon lord fondled one breast through the fabric of her yukata. Pulling away from his lips, she gasped out a moan as his mouth sucked under her jaw and began to nip lightly down the column of her throat. She grabbed the fabric of his shirt in tiny fists and tugged at it impatiently.

"Off, now," she growled lowly, her voice husky and breathless. Sesshomaru smirked at her frustration and sat back on his legs. Slowly, agonizingly slowly in Kagome's opinion, he undid the bright sash around his middle and slid the fabric of his top off his shoulders. Once presented the sculpted chest of the man that she was surely falling in love with, Kagome didn't think twice before lunging at him. Surprised that she was capable of such swift, precise movement with the state that she was in, Sesshomaru could do little more than absorb the hit and steady her with his one hand on her hip. She straddled his hips and smiled deviously down at him. He grinned back at her, taking in the bright blush on her cheeks and the glaze over her eyes.

"I believe, miko, that you are wearing entirely too much clothing," he rumbled, watching as a shiver ran down her spine. She rolled her eyes at him though.

"Still calling me 'miko' even now," she muttered as she untied her already loose obi and flung it across the room. Slipping her hand slowly under the fabric of her first layer, she slid it off her shoulders and let it pool around her on Sesshomaru's waist and legs.

"There," she whispered as she leaned down to press butterfly kisses on his chest, "We're even now."

In the back of her mind, she could feel embarrassment rise in her belly. She was not usually this bold with her body. She was raised in a time of modesty and despite the many times she'd been teased for that modesty, she held tight to how she was raised. Now, though, with the alcohol warming her body and dampening her inhibitions, she couldn't bring herself to care.

In a flurry of moment, her world flipped over and silver hair fell in a curtain around her head. Molten eyes stared down at her intensely, complete with a predatory gleam. A smirk curled Sesshoumaru's lips before he ducked his head to press hot, wet kissed against the column of her neck.

"You went far away for a moment, Kagome. What was so important?"

Between the fuzz of the alcohol and Sesshoumaru's tongue sweeping against her pulse point, Kagome couldn't concentrate enough to form a sentence. Her breath escaped her mouth in throaty moans. That was all Sesshomaru needed to hear. His kisses and nips became urgent, leaving small marks down her neck and across her collarbone.

Through her drunken haze, Kagome grabbed his face and looked at him seriously. "No marks in a visible area." Sesshoumaru considered arguing with her, or making them anyway, but refrained.

"As you wish, Kagome." He continued his ministrations, leaving especially dark marks along the curve of her breasts.

Tiny fingers threaded through long hair and tugged impatiently. The priestess felt him grin against her before he pulled away. Sitting up, he stared down at her mischievously.

"A greedy miko, it would seem," he hummed quietly, staring down at her flushed, naked form. She was breathing heavily, her eyes were half closed, and her mouth hung open. She groaned in frustration as she attempted to press her hips against his.

"Sesshomaru," she groaned throatily. The feral grin curled his lips and did nothing to cool the fire in her belly as the youkai shed the rest of his clothing and laid his body over hers. Everywhere that their skin touched, she felt fire burst under her skin. They kissed hungrily, greedily, taking in as much of each other as they could. For a brief moment, Kagome considered stopping this. The tiny voice in her head asking if she really wanted to lose her virginity like this, to someone that she truly loved that she doubted would ever love her back. That voice was silenced when Sesshomaru pulled his mouth from hers and slowly moved his lips down her body. Surrendering the last of her doubts, she let go of her inhibitions and allowed herself to enjoy the night.

The sun shining through the curtains and onto her face made her throbbing head hurt worse than she thought was possible. Her whole body thrummed and throbbed, especially her hip, head, and arms. Wondering about that strange combination of sore places, she tried desperately to remember what had happened the night before. Snippets of memories presented themselves; drinking with Inuyasha, sitting on the ballroom floor, Sesshomaru hovering over her, being nak—

Abruptly, all the memories of the night before flooded back to her. Her eyes opened and widened when she realized that not only was Sesshoumaru naked beside her, but she was very much naked as well. Suddenly, the throbbing in her hips made entirely too much sense. Shocked was not a strong enough word to describe how she felt. She had gotten drunk last night and slept with Sesshoumaru. Anxiety churned in her stomach and for a moment, she was sure that she was going to throw up. She took several deep, steadying breaths, until she was sure that she wasn't going to vomit. Slowly, she shifted out from under the blankets and gathered the remnants of her clothes where they were scattered on the floor. Once they were bundled in her arms, she quietly exited into her room and closed the door. Sinking to the floor, she tried to control her breathing. Tears were pricking the corners of her eyes and her heart was thundering.

She had ruined it. Sesshoumaru was going to wake up, mortified, and want nothing to do with her anymore. Pain seized her heart tightly and clogged her throat, making it hard to breath. She could feel panic over taking her and threatening to send her spiraling. Gulping down a big breath and swallowing around the lump, she fought to calm herself.

Kagome took deep breaths and slowly, she managed to calm down enough to think practically about this. She needed to bathe, get dressed, and go greet the children. The guests would be in the castle for one more day. She would spend today in Nishi and enjoy the vendors that would be out. If she did run into Sesshoumaru, she would assure him that she didn't expect anything and that it had been a stupid, drunken mistake. She'd say anything she had to so not to lose the strange relationship she had formed with him.

Assured that she had a plan, she rose from her seated position and headed to take a long bath, hoping that the hot water would soothe the ache in her hips.

When Sesshoumaru began to wake up, the first thing he noticed was the slight pinch in his head. It was the barest of headaches, but it was enough to be annoying. Grunting his displeasure, he turned over to face Kagome, hoping that her scent might soothe some of the pain. His plan was ruined when he rolled over to realize that the little miko wasn't there. Wondering where she could be, especially this early in the morning after drinking so much last night, he sat up and looked around the room.

He only had to wonder for a moment before he saw the sloppy pile of his clothing in the corner and recognized the left over smells of sex in the room. Dread washed over him quickly, along with disgust. He had gotten intoxicated and bedded the miko last night. The memories came to him clearly now. The look on her face, the smell of her skin, the heat of her body. In the moment, he hadn't thought for a second that rutting her was a bad idea. Instinct and desire overtook him while the alcohol lowered his inhibitions. Briefly, he wondered if the miko had deduced what had happened the night before.

'Well, she awoke earlier than us and purposely left quietly enough not to wake us, so yes, she is probably very aware of what took place,' his demon responded sarcastically.

Sesshoumaru growled at the voice as he rose from bed. He collected his clothes and put them into the basket to be washed. Ten minutes later, he emerged from the bathing area clean and ready to start his day. The miko's scent still clung to him faintly and Sesshoumaru found that he enjoyed it.

In fact, he didn't feel any irritation about the night at all. Initially, he had been disgusted with himself for losing control, but now conscious and having thought of the night, he had no regrets. It had been incredible with Kagome. He could tell that she had been untouched before him, which had spurred him on and made his beast howl. She had been clumsy, but passionate. No, all memories of the night were amazing. What worried him was how the miko would react to the events.

The night before, all reservations about loving the miko had disappeared. He had seen her be strong, he had seen her be compassionate. He had seen her fight with everything in her to protect her pack and he had seen her smiled at him gently. She was kind, powerful, intelligent, and patient. She was well respected by his court and the courts of the other Lords. There was nothing not to love about the miko, not even her brazen attitude and her lack of grace. If anything, he loved her all the more for those things. She was different from anything he had ever encountered. She managed to stimulate his body, heart, and mind.

He had always thought that love would make him weak. It would give his enemies something to hurt him with. Now, though, he realized that he had been wrong. His affection and love for the miko pushed him to be stronger, pushed him to protect her with everything in her. She was powerful in her own right, an asset to his court and his pack. She was everything one looked for in a mate and more.

'And she already loves us,' his demon added, over the moon that Sesshoumaru had finally stopped his ridiculous fight against their feelings for the miko. Both of them felt at ease, a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.

Mind made up that he needed to speak with the miko, he dressed quickly and set out to find her.

A quest that proved easier said than done. The miko was nowhere to be found on the castle grounds. When he managed to chase down his brother in the gardens, where the whelp was chatting pleasantly with his maid as they picked vegetables, the demon's patience was waning.

"Hey, what's up?" Sesshoumaru was shocked by his brother's easy demeanor and casual greeting. He didn't think Inuyasha had ever been so civil with him. It was more pleasant than Sesshoumaru would have guessed. The demon lord pushed the feeling away.

"Have you seen the miko?"

Inuyasha looked at him with a sly smile. "Yeah, I saw her this morning. Asked her how last night went and all I got was stuttering and a bright red blush. Must had been a good night." The half demon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sesshoumaru growled at the words and stepped toward the boy menacingly. "Where is she now?"

Inuyasha, confused by his brother's poor mood, shrugged. "I think she's in the town with Sango and Miroku. They wanted to see Nishi and she volunteered to take them."

Sesshoumaru absorbed this information and nodded slowly, his rigid posture relaxing. The miko was spending time with her former companions, whom she had seen little of in the last months. He would not interrupt that.

"Tell her that I wish to see her when she returns." He didn't wait for an answer before he turned away and stalked back into the castle. Despite his desire to speak with her and make sure she was alright, he refused to ruin her time with her friends. He'd have to wait until she came to find him.

Kagome smiled easily at the story Shippou was telling her as they walked back through the castle gates. The boy and Rin had been spending time with the other children from the courts. It left the both of them with lots of stories to tell. A small amount of dread filled her as they passed through the gates and onto the castle grounds. Already, she could feel Sesshoumaru's expectant, irritated aura dancing over the castle grounds. She knew that she couldn't avoid talking to him forever, so she had prepared something to say to him when she saw him tonight. She would just reassure him that it was a drunken mistake and she didn't want to lose what they have. Nodding to herself, confident in her plan, she smiled at her friends.

"I should go, I need to check in with Sesshoumaru on what is left to be done for the ceremonies."

Sango and Miroku nodded, the demon slayer giving her friend a tight hug. "We'll see you at dinner tonight."

Kagome gave her a meaningful look. Leaning in close, she whispered into her friend's ear. "We have a lot to talk about."

Sango looked at her with a raised brow and concerned eyes. Kagome waved to soothe her worries. "It's not— well it is seriously— but it's not bad. I don't think?" Kagome smiled lamely and touched Sango's arm. "We'll talk later."

Sango nodded, smiling comfortingly at her best friend. Miroku and the children stared at them, but didn't say anything. Kagome hugged Shippou and Rin tightly, promising to see them at dinner, before heading toward the castle. She smiled and waved to soldiers as she passed, hugged Haru when she passed her by the infirmary, and she chatted with Taimu briefly when she ran into him outside the dining hall.

"How did you feel this morning?" he asked, grinning at her. Kagome smiled with a small wince.

"Well, I don't think I've had a headache quite like this before," she laughed. Taimu nodded at her with a cheery smile.

"Yes, our alcohol is a bit stronger than humans. Though, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I hope that you had a good night regardless." Butterflies racketed around in Kagome's stomach and she tried to smile convincingly. They chatted for another few minutes before Kagome wished him a good day.

She was in no hurry to face the demon lord and took her time walking toward his study.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, huh?" She mulled over the lord of the North's words. Maybe, it wasn't so bad that she had spent the night with Sesshoumaru. "If he was really upset about it, he would have found me by now, right?" That made sense to her, at least. Some of the tightness in her chest loosened at the thought and she quickened her pace toward Sesshoumaru's study.

Kagome, absorbed in her own thoughts, was startled when she rounded a corner to see the Lady of the South standing at the end of a hallway. Quickly, she hid behind the wall, hoping that the woman didn't notice her. When the demoness didn't call out to her or round the corner, she relaxed and strained her ears to hear what was being said.

"…back to the castle, Naraku wants the report on the miko by tonight. I will be leaving the castle tomorrow and will make my way directly there. Tell him that I have valuable news for him."

"Yes, mistress."

Kagome had to cover her mouth so as not to make a noise when the sound of Kohaku's voice reached her ears. There was no mistaking it. She could feel the faint pulse of the jewel as well. She bit her hand hard to stop herself from calling out to them and confronting the southern lady.

Naraku must have hidden the jewel's power under a spell and that's why she hadn't noticed it before. If Kohaku was masquerading as the prince, then chances were the Southern Lady standing down the hall was not the real thing either. Naraku had eyes inside the castle.

' _He hid the jewel's power from me. He got into the castle twice. He's getting stronger.'_

Pushing past the fear and confusion that froze her in place, she forced her legs to carry her away from the scene. She walked respectfully for a time but soon found that she running toward Sesshoumaru's aura. The irritation in it had shifted to confusion, probably in response to the sheer panic she knew was filling her own aura. They ran into each other a few doors away from his study, his eyes filled with confusion and worry. When he looked at her, he knew that he was right to be worried. She was pale, all the blood having run from her face. Her scent was bitter with fear and panic. He could smell blood in the air and saw it at the corner of her mouth. She nearly collapsed into his arms when she saw him and her mouth was working too fast to understand what she was saying.

"Kagome, you are not making any sense."

She gulped down some air and tried to steady herself. She pulled her hand away from him, glancing down at the bloodstain on his top. She shook her head, absentmindedly rubbing her hand on her own clothing.

"Study, now. Put a barrier around it."

Sesshoumaru took in her serious tone and the feel of her aura. Nodding, he led her by an arm around her waist into his study. Once the door was closed, he flared is youkai out and created a barrier around the room. He turned to look at her expectantly to find her pacing the room. It was unsettling to see her moving like this, as if she was a hurt animal stuck in a corner. Wondering if this could be about the events of last night, he approached her carefully and touched her cheek.

"What is going on?" he demanded quietly. She turned to look at him with wide eyes stirring with fear. The look chilled the demon lord to his core. Never in his time with Kagome had he ever seen her look so shaken. He hardly recognized the wide, panicked look in her eyes. He took her hand and touched it to his throat gently, hoping the beat of his heart would help calm her down. His worry increased when her breathing didn't slow down.

"It's Naraku. He's in the castle."

Sesshoumaru still at the words and a growl slid through his lips before he could stop it. His fist clenched tightly and he looked around the room suspiciously. He dropped her hand and flexed his fingers

"How do you know this?"

Kagome gulped down several breaths, trying to calm down enough to form full sentences. "We were right about something being wrong with the Southern house. I overheard the Southern lady talking to someone. It was Kohaku, I could sense the jewel shards in his neck. I don't know how, but Naraku can hid the jewel's power from me. I didn't- I didn't even realize that he was here." She hiccupped loudly. With a frustrated gleam in her eyes, she wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes. "They were talking about reporting to Naraku. She said she had news for him."

Kagome looked around her, fear making her chew on her lip. It felt like he was in the room with them, looking at her. It made her skin crawl and she felt hot tears fill her eyes. The one place she felt safe and he was here. Her skin felt like it was being poked with thousands of needles. She rubbed her arms and paced in an attempt to ease the feeling. The burn scars stung as if they were fresh. Sesshoumaru watched her with narrowed eyes, thinking on what she had told him. How had he been unaware of Naraku's presence in the castle? How had the evil hanyou managed to take control of the Southern clan's royal family?

Now that he thought about it, he realized that he had never met the Southern lady before this event. She had only been on the throne for a little under a hundred years and Sesshoumaru had been busy in that time. He hadn't the time to waste on making niceties with other clans. He cursed that decision now, knowing well that if he had met the woman before, he would have sensed that something was wrong. Narrowing his eyes, he dispelled the thoughts and concentrated on the problem at hand. Getting the woman out of the castle and making sure that his pack was safe.

"You will stay here. I will confront the woman and make sure that the children are safe. Stay here." He emphasized the last word, knowing that she had a tendency to put herself in unsafe situations. He was mildly taken aback when she simply nodded, her eyes unfocused and her mind far away. She was pacing again before he was out of the room.


	12. Chapter 12

When he returned, he found her still pacing. She was walking steadily from one end of his study to the other. The action revealed her agitation. She was chewing and tearing at her fingernails; the demon could smell blood from where she had ripped her nail from the skin. Walking slowly over to her, he placed a clawed hand on hers and pulled the small appendage away from her mouth. Only now did he notice the bleeding tooth imprints on her hand.

"What happened?" His voice was low and soft, though carefully neutral.

"I had to stop myself from calling out to Kohaku," she explained, just as quietly. Her voice was strained and desperate, revealing how scared she truly was. Her eyes were flickering side to side, as if she was looking for something.

"Speak your mind, miko."

Kagome stared at him with unfathomable eyes. It was unsettling to see them so blank. He was used to seeing the emotion play out in her eyes and over her face. Especially when she was overwhelmingly upset. As obvious as it was that she was upset, her face was near empty.

"I was just a kid, you know," she blurted suddenly. Her voice was wavering unsteadily. Emotion started to leak into her face, intense and painful. He'd never seen her look so distressed in the entire time he'd known her. Not even when he was ready to kill her.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the sentence, confused as to why she had said it.

"I was barely fifteen years old! Hell, I'm only twenty years old now! Yet, I'm expected to know what I'm doing! I was stolen from my home by a monster that I didn't know existed, almost killed, and when I try my very hardest, I make one little mistake. And bam! I'm doomed to a life of being judged and hurt and told that I'm not as good as Kikyou would have been!"

Large tears were rolling down her face. Her voice was trembling and she was slightly out of breath from yelling. The lord stared at her with blank eyes, trying to process her words while trying to determine where this train of thought had originated from.

She stared at him, taking in his expression with guilt shining in her eyes. She wiped at the tears streaming down her face and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

"Naraku is _here._ In _your_ castle, threatening _our friends, family,_ and _future._ And it's all _my_ fault." The demon lord was happy that he'd put a barrier around the study; she was nearly screaming at this point. It rang in his ears.

Her whole body was rigid as a bowstring. Despite the hands pressed to her face, he could see the dark red on her cheeks. Her aura whipped around erratically. Fury beyond anything he'd ever seen rolled off her in waves. Fury fueled by hatred and rage over the injustice of it all. Her lips wobbled and her chin trembled and in that moment, she felt more helpless and weak than she thought was possible. She felt small and insignificant; and it was Naraku that had made her feel this way. A growl ripped its way out of her mouth and she ground her teeth loudly.

Holy energy crackled in her palms, burning her hands and wrists. The fire burned through her veins, filling her body and clouding her mind. Sesshoumaru's stern warning to ' _calm down, Kagome'_ felt far away. She ground bit her cheek, ignoring the taste of iron that filled her mouth.

"This isn't _fair!"_ she howled, squeezing her eyes tight and gripping her head, thin fingers tugging against her hair. Her heart was beating hard against her chest; it thundered in her ears and drowned out all other noise.

The lump in her throat grew too big to speak around. Hot tears trailed down her face. Her vision wobbled, her head was spinning.

Sesshoumaru stared at her, too shocked to speak. In the months he'd been with her, he'd never even guessed that these were the thoughts that plagued the miko. She was always smiling. She approached each day with determination and strength, working to help and protect those around her. A strange wave of rage filled the demon lord in that moment. Rage at Naraku for doing this to the sweet, warm miko he'd come to love. Even strong, though, was a mysterious anger toward Kagome.

"Kagome, get a hold of yourself," he demanded, voice hard. The tone shocked her and for a moment, she was silent. Her shoulder stopped shaking and her hands slowly moved from her hair. The miko held them in front of her face, watched them tremble. She stared at them, taking in the dried blood and chipped nails. After a deep, shaky breath, she tipped her face up to look at Sesshoumaru. She looked dazed, lost, defeated.

The irritation in his stomach multiplied at the blank look in her eyes. He didn't like this lifeless look in her eyes. This wasn't the Kagome that he knew. "Get ahold of yourself," he demanded again. He internally smirked at the spark of life in her eyes. Slowly, she squared her shoulders and faced him. He was pleased to see the slump in her shoulders had lessened and her mouth was downturned in an irritated frown. He continued to stare her dead in the eyes as he spoke.

"This is no time to feel sorry for yourself. Our pack is in danger and—"

"You think I don't know that?" Her eyes, shining with tears, were filled with fire. In all the time that he'd know her, Kagome had never looked at him like that. There was burning fury and indignation in her eyes. Her tone was equal parts harsh and cold. Her back straightened; her shoulders were square and her chin tipped up. She had a brow raised expectantly. The demon lord was shocked at the change in demeanor. "Just because I'm overwhelmed doesn't mean that I've given up, Sesshoumaru."

She was staring down at her hands again, clenching them into tight fists over and over again. She looked up to stare at the demon lord. Her chin still wobbled slightly, but her tone was firm. "Admitting that something is overwhelming or scary doesn't make me any less determined to fight. Sometimes you need to cry and scream until you can't breathe. And when you're done, you stand up and keep going."

She wiped her hands against her face, sighing loudly and shaking herself. Her face was set with determination and annoyance. "I haven't given up, Sesshoumaru. I needed to cry, I needed to get rid of all this. The only way to do that is to just, scream." She ended with a shrug.

Sesshoumaru hummed in the back of his throat, rolling her words around. Ultimately, he was just glad that she'd collected herself. Seeing her so upset made a knot tighten in his chest. "I am glad to hear that you are still prepared to fight." He offered the smallest of smiles and was relieved when she returned it. It fell soon after though and a serious expression crossed her face.

"Did you find her?"

Sesshoumaru tensed and bit back a growl. "She was not in her room when I arrived. I have a feeling that she has slipped out of the castle. I'm not sure that she will return, though there were still possessions in her room, which leads me to believe that she will come back."

Kagome nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on her face. The demon lord could see the gears working in her head and waited for her to speak.

"First and foremost, I want the children somewhere safe. We'll put them in my room and erect a barrier. Other than that, we need to act normal. As terrifying as it is that she might return to the castle, it's our only chance to capture her. She said that Kohaku was leaving tonight," she grimaced, "I can't tell Sango that he was here, it would break her heart."

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. "What do you think we should do about capturing her?"

Kagome hummed loudly, tipping her head back and forth as she thought. "We have to see all the houses off, right?" She waited for the demon lord to nod. "If we see her off last, we can station soldiers at the exits and trap her in the entry way. I doubt she's strong enough to fight all of us off."

Sesshoumaru thought through the idea, thinking of any possible weaknesses in the plan. Every plan ran the risk of not working, but this one was a sound course of action. He nodded in agreement. Having worked that out, he stepped toward her and pulled her gently against his chest. She allowed herself to be held and wrapped her arms around his back. She sighed against his chest.

"I am sorry that I freaked out. It must have caught you off guard." Her voice was soft and apologetic. Sesshoumaru snorted at her.

"That is an understatement, Kagome," He enjoyed the chuckled reverberating against his chest.

"Yeah, but I promise that it helped."

Sesshoumaru pressed his nose into her hair, taking a deep breath. Her scent served to calm him slightly, easing some of the tension in his stomach. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't anxious. The idea of anyone affiliated with Naraku being in his home set him on edge. He stretched his youki out again, feeling for any sign of the vile woman. Kagome copied him, their energies mingling to search for her. Kagome sighed as she pulled her reiki back into her center.

They stood like that for some time, calm in each other's embrace. With the threat of Naraku's underling momentarily forgotten, Sesshoumaru remembered the events of last night. He stepped away from Kagome slowly, looking down at her with unreadable eyes. He brushed his thumb over her cheek.

"We need to talk about the events of last evening." He tried to keep his voice as soft and calming as he could. The last thing he wanted was to give her the impression that he was upset with her. He was worried when she blanched and the color once again drained from her face. Her heart was beating hard again.

"Ah, yeah. It was…" Kagome struggled for words. She knew what she was supposed to say. She was supposed to say it was a drunken mistake. She was supposed to say it never should have happened. There was a lot she was supposed to say, but none of it would come out of her mouth.

Sesshoumaru could tell that she was having trouble formulating her thoughts and stepped in. "Perhaps I should speak first."

Kagome swallowed hard, anxious about what Sesshoumaru had to say on the whole matter. She reminded herself that if he was well and truly upset, he would have sought her out earlier in the day. She held her breath and nodded for him to continue.

The silver lord took a moment to organize his thoughts. This was something he never imagined himself doing. He was not an overly open person, he never thought he'd have to be open with someone. It was one thing to accept his feelings for himself. An entirely different thing to tell another person. He took an uncharacteristically deep breath to calm himself.

"I was quite surprised when I woke up and realized what had happened. Initially, I was upset with myself for losing control and bedding you while intoxicated. It was not my intention."

Kagome's heart was in her throat. _'He does regret it.'_ She felt like she was falling; her stomach sank and her heart squeezed and it was hard to breathe.

Sesshoumaru was still speaking. "I came to the conclusion, though, that while I regret the circumstances, I do not regret the fact that it happened."

Now Kagome's heart was in her throat and beating too fast. It left her feeling vaguely nauseous. The sudden shift of emotions left her reeling.

"I told you some time ago that I was rather affection of you. As we have spent time together and I have gotten to know you, I know now that it is more than affection."

The silver demon paused for a moment when he watched fat tears start dripping down her face. She didn't seem to realize that she was crying and made no move to wipe the tears away, as she usually would. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. He was worried that something was wrong and touched her hand with the tips of his claws. She jolted at the sensation, blinking quickly as if coming out of a trance.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry." She wiped away at the tears on her face quickly, laughing nervously as she did. Tears continued to fall down her face, no matter how fast she wiped them away. The rollercoaster of emotions left her feeling lightheaded and breathless. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's going on." A calloused thumb wiped away a tear, making her look up at the dog demon with watery eyes. He smiled tenderly at her, making her heart throb.

"I am not sure what the future is going to bring. Naraku is a growing threat every day. I know, though, that I care very much about you and feel no need to hide that anymore." He stopped talking to wait and see if the miko wanted to say anything. She didn't move or say anything for long enough that Sesshoumaru started to get worried. Then, she did something that he didn't understand.

She leaned back and moved her arms away from him. Folding them between their bodies, she pinched her arm hard. She sucked in a breath between her teeth at the sensation. Sesshoumaru looked at her, concerned and confused.

"Why did you do that?"

Kagome smiled, her chin still wobbling and her eyes still teary. "I was pinching myself to make sure this isn't a dream. In most dreams, you can't feel pain. So, if you pinch yourself and it hurts, you know you're awake." She stepped fully out of his embrace now, wiping her eyes and sighing behind her hands. She let out a breathless laugh, feeling tears burn her eyes all over again.

"I can't believe this is happening. I was prepared to tell you that I was sorry."

Sesshoumaru tipped his head at her, squinting slightly. "Why did you feel the need to apologize?"

Kagome chuckled, wiping her hands over her face before pulling them away. Her face was flushed and her eyes rimmed red. "I thought you were going to be angry and regret it. I thought that I was going to have to say I was sorry and that it was a mistake. I didn't want to ruin whatever we have."

A little bit of guilt made the demon lord's stomach drop. He was displeased that he'd given the priestess the impression that he'd be angry about such a thing. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she held a hand up to stop him. "Don't, it is okay. I started to realize that if you were really upset, you would have hunted me down today." Her tone was light and teasing. Sesshoumaru chuckled.

"I did attempt to hunt you down. I asked every servant in the palace to find you. I asked Inuyasha where you were. Did you enjoy your time in the village?"

Kagome nodded, the last of her tears drying. "Yeah, it was nice. I got everyone something; Rin got watercolors and Shippou got a sword. I told him we'd take turns training him."

Sesshoumaru grinned at the prospect and nodded. "It will help strengthen his bond to the pack." Kagome smiled at the idea, happy that Sesshoumaru was looking forward to spending time with her kit.

"Oh!" Her loud exclamation caught the demon lord off guard. Her eyes were wide with excitement and she smiled brightly. "I have something for you!"

Curiosity piqued, Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her. Kagome smiled mischievously, grabbing his hand and tugging him out of his study. He followed willingly, allowing her to tow him along toward their rooms. When they were close, and people started to pass them, she released his hand. She stopped one of the servants that passed them.

"Can you do me a favor?" The timid maid nodded quickly. "I need you to go and get Rin and Shippou. Bring them to my room. Once you have them here, go and gather my companions." The maid nodded again, gave a low bow, and scurried down that hall. Kagome turned to smile at him and motion for him to follow her.

The demon lord was slightly surprised when she slid her own door open as opposed to his. He was so accustomed to sharing a room with her that he had forgotten she had a room of her own. She invited him in, motioning for him to make himself comfortable. He watched with interest as she walked over to her vanity and pulled open a drawer.

Whatever she was hiding from him was small enough to hide in her palm. She walked over to him, kneeling on one of the plush cushions at her tea table. Sesshoumaru followed her example, sinking down to sit beside her. She fidgeted for a minute before holding out her curled hand. Sesshoumaru opened his palm to take whatever she was offering.

He wasn't sure what he expected, but the strip of ribbon was far outside the realm of possibilities. He held it carefully, inspecting the yellow fabric with dark blue embroidering. Kagome babbled while he looked.

"I saw it while I was in town. I thought you could tie your hair with it. I know you have a bunch of them, but I couldn't think of anything else to get you," she smiled sarcastically, "Hard to pick out a gift for a lord."

Sesshoumaru huffed out a laugh, still staring at the tie. It was a small, simple gift. By all accounts, nothing special. He'd received much more extravagant gifts, expensive silks and jewel encrusted vases. There was something incredibly intimate and personal about this though. Something she'd picked out with him in mind.

"Thank you, Kagome." He wasn't sure what else to say. He could tell in her smile that he'd said enough. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, taking a moment to relax after the hectic events of the last two days. Sesshoumaru periodically stretched his youki over the castle, searching for Naraku's puppet.

The longer she sat with him, the more her joy dampened. The reality of this situation was starting to dawn on her mind and it had her chewing her bottom lip. The anxious voice in the back of her brain was rearing its ugly head. How would the court react to their relationship? If they mated, their children would be half demons. Would Sesshoumaru be okay with that? Would their children be accepted as heirs? Would they be treated poorly and looked down upon? She thought of the beautiful demonesses she'd seen while she'd been here, eternally graceful and dressed in the finest silk. How could she possibly dream of competing with that? Especially considering they could bear him pure bred heirs. They knew the ins and outs of the court system, how to act appropriately. They wouldn't embarrass him or ruin his reputation. How was this going to wor—

"Kagome."

Sesshoumaru's firm, quiet voice pulled the miko out of her thoughts. She blinked at him, realizing that he was staring at her with worried eyes. She smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts."

Sesshoumaru hummed quietly. He took her hand and held it delicately, tracing his thumb over her knuckles. "What were you thinking about?"

It was moments like this that she hated his ability to sniff out lies. She chewed her cheek gently, trying to decide how to broach this topic.

"Are you sure about this? I don't want to ruin your reputation among the courts. I know that you're expected to mate a beautiful demoness and have pure bred heirs. Our children would be half demons. Is that okay? Would they be accepted?" Once she started talking, she couldn't stop. All of her worries poured out of her mouth before she could think. "I know that there are expectations for you as a lord. I don't know if I can fulfill those expectations. I don't— I don't—"

Sesshoumaru cut her off with a hand on her cheek. Her mouth was still open, ready to speak. She closed it slowly, a blush lighting her cheeks. Her eyes flickered away from his face. She took a moment to take a deep breath, trying to steady her heartbeat. Sesshoumaru allowed her a moment to breathe before speaking.

"I understand your worries. I would be lying if I haven't considered them myself. It is extremely rare that a mating happens for anything other than political reasons. They may come to enjoy each other's company, even become fond of each other. Not love though, never love."

Kagome's heartrate picked up again, thumping loudly through her head. Sesshoumaru cursed himself for a moment. He should have known that this approach wasn't going to calm his companion down. His thumb traced against the arch of Kagome's cheek, hoping to ease her anxiety.

"I have considered all of these things, I know all of these things. I am the Lord of the West though. Nothing anyone says stands against the choices that I make. I listen to my advisors and my people so that I may rule this kingdom to the best of my ability. This decision, however, is entirely my own. There is nothing anyone can say to me that will convince me that you are not worthy at a place by my side."

The silence that filled the room was gentle. The demon could see Kagome considering all that he had said, rolling it around in her head and rationalizing it. Slowly, she nodded against the hand on her cheek. Everything he'd said made sense, was true to his character. His gaze was steady and earnest. This was the Sesshoumaru that she knew, that she loved, telling her that this was his decision. She was his decision. Against all odds, after all they'd been through, they had chosen each other. The unlikelihood of it all made her chuckle. What a crazy, crazy world.

Sesshoumaru took her chuckle as a good sign. With a small smile, he withdrew his hand. He reached for the ribbon again, tracing his fingers along the embroidered fabric.

"Why did you choose yellow? The color of this house is blue."

Kagome smiled, reaching out to grip the end gently between two fingers.

"It just felt right. It matches your eyes. Sometimes it's nice to have something a little bit different." She listed the reasons casually, staring at the ribbon and smiling. She shrugged and let go. "Just seemed right."

Something fluttered in Sesshoumaru's chest, a sensation he'd never experienced before. With a slow hand, he reached up to untie the ribbon he was already wearing. His hair fell in waves around him, pooling on the floor. He offered the new ribbon to Kagome. The miko smiled broadly, taking the ribbon. She positioned herself behind him slowly, careful not to kneel on any of his hair. Small hands moved slowly through his hair, gathering it into a bunch. Holding it tightly, she wrapped the ribbon around his hair. After a few seconds of readjusting, she sat back and proudly observed her work.

"Perfect," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru turned quickly, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. She yelped, pressing her hands against his chest so that they didn't collide. She smiled bashfully, a blush rising to her cheeks. She leaned forward first, surprising the demon. He didn't hesitate to lean as well, pressing his lips firmly against hers. He felt her hum reverberate through his body. The lord held her tightly, pulling her more fully into his lap. He was a moment away from deepening the kiss when she abruptly pushed away from him. She moved out of his lap with surprising speed. The demon had only just opened his mouth when there was a knock at the door.

"One moment," Kagome called, standing and straightening her yukata as she stepped toward the door. She paused for a moment, reaching out her reiki to determine who was beyond it. Why the miko had jumped away made sense once she slid the door open.

"Kagome!" Rin and Shippou chorused in unison, wrapping themselves tightly around her legs. She patted their heads fondly. When they let go of her, she knelt down in front of them. With a hand on each of their shoulders, she stared at them seriously.

"We're in a little bit of danger," she said honestly, making sure they knew she was being serious. "Sesshoumaru and I need you two to stay in this room and not leave for _anyone._ "

"What about you?" Rin whispered, voice trembling slightly. The young girl recognize the intensity in Kagome's eyes; it was the same look that Sesshoumaru got when he was telling Jaken to protect her. It meant that something very, very bad was happening. Kagome gripped her shoulder comfortingly.

"Sesshoumaru, can you get me a piece of paper and a brush?" The demon lord didn't hesitate to oblige, curious as to what Kagome was going to write. He handed both objects to her a moment later, as well as setting ink down on the table near her. Kagome smiled appreciatively. Once she had a small amount of ink on her brush, she started to write.

"If you think it's me or Sesshoumaru outside, ask them what my cat's name is. This is my cat's name, don't repeat it out loud." She turned the paper toward them. The children read it quickly, looking over it a few times before nodding. Kagome smiled encouragingly at them. She turned to show Sesshoumaru as well. He gave a firm nod when he'd finished.

"Burn this, please," she requested politely, watching with satisfaction as acid burned its way through the paper, leaving nothing left. She turned back to the children with a kind smile.

"Good. If they can't answer that question correctly, don't open the door for them, okay?" Shippou and Rin nodded slowly, faces both twisted with worry and fear. She gathered the two of them to her. She moved to sit and pulled them carefully into her lap.

"I know that this is scary. And I'm so, so sorry that we have to do this. We need to protect you though, no matter what. We'll send Jaken in here to watch you guys and keep you company. I need you both to be nice to him during this. No pranks, jokes, nothing like that. I have some crayons and paper so that you can color, and I'll have someone brings some books. Can you guys be good for us?"

Rin sniffled against Kagome's shoulder, little tears leaking out of her eyes. She hummed quietly and nodded slowly. Kagome kissed the crown of her head. Shippou wasn't crying, though his chin trembled. He had a brave look on his face. The fox kit nodded firmly. Kagome kissed him as well, infinitely proud of his courage.

"I need to go for a little bit, Sesshoumaru is going to stay with you until I get back." The miko ushered the children toward the demon lord, who was sitting passively at the table. He raised a brow at her, curious as to where she was going, but didn't move as the children came toward him. Rin crawled into his lap with no hesitation, quickly making herself comfortably curled against him. His hand rested gently against her back. Shippou didn't join his friend, he sat next to Sesshoumaru, their knees touching. Kagome smiled at them and stood up.

"I'll be back in ten minutes, alright? We need to discuss the ball tonight."

The three of them nodded, though Sesshoumaru looked slightly concerned. Kagome tried to comfort him with a smile before turning and leaving quickly. She gave herself a moment to breathe and compose herself before she set off down the hall to find her friends.

It didn't take her long to find them. She nearly ran headlong into Sango a few hallways away from her room. The demon slayer looked at her with sharp concern twisting her face.

"A maid told us you needed us, what's going on?" Sango could sense that something was going on, something bad. Her instincts as a slayer were screaming in her head and setting her on edge. Kagome tried to smile reassuringly and only half succeeded.

"We have a problem," she murmured, motioning for her and Miroku to follow. The monk watched passively as the two of them talked, waiting to see what Kagome had to say to them. She ushered them into a room near them, sliding the door closed firmly behind them. She flared out her reiki quickly, erecting a barrier around the room. Sango and Miroku tensed at the feeling of her holy power washing over them. They stared intently at her, waiting for her to explain what was going on.

She turned to look at them, leveling each of them with serious look. "Naraku has eyes in the castle."

The slayer and monk blinked owlishly, mouths gaping open.

"What-What are you talking about? This is _Sesshoumaru's_ castle. How could Naraku be here?" Sango stuttered, a chill running down her spine at the idea of the evil hanyou being here. Miroku rested a comforting hand on her back and she leaned into the touch. Kagome grimaced, shaking her head as she spoke.

"I was surprised too, I have no idea how he managed this. The Southern Lady is Naraku's puppet. And her son is…" Kagome trailed off, not sure how to say this. Moreover, she didn't want to have to say this. She wrung her hands together, gathering all her might to utter her next words.

"Her son was Kohaku in disguise." She rushed to explain when she saw the look of shock on Sango's face. "I'm so sorry, Naraku hid the jewel from me and I had no idea that it was him. She sent him out of the castle to report back to Naraku. Sango, I'm so sorry I didn't realize sooner."

Sango ears were ringing so loud that she hardly heard Kagome's apology. He was here? He had been here? Sango remembered glancing at the Southern prince during the tournament, noting his odd features. She'd been not even a twenty yards from Kohaku just yesterday? For a moment, Sango was sure that she was going to throw up. She raised a hand to her mouth and let out a shuddering breathe.

"He was here?" she whispered. Kagome nodded slowly, eyes still dark with remorse.

"I'm so sorry, Sango."

Absentmindedly, Sango waved her hand, mind still reeling. "No, it's okay. A lot is going on. I just…" She couldn't finish the sentence. She choked on her words and turned her face into Miroku's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her while she shook. Over her head, he smiled a small reassuring smile at Kagome. Kagome just sighed, filled with rolling guilt. Despite the urge to comfort her friend, they had bigger problems to address.

"Sesshoumaru and I have a plan to capture the Southern lady. We're going to need your help though."

Sango pulled away from her fiancé, eyes rimmed red. "What can we do?"

Kagome spent the next ten minutes explaining their plan in detail. She described how they would see off the houses at the end of the festivities, in the main hallway. Sango and Miroku nodded as she told them where they'd hide near the entrance of the castle, ready in case the woman managed to escape her and Sesshoumaru. She was just about to describe what she'd seen in the hallway when there was a sharp knock at the door.

"Kagome? Open up."

Kagome's stiff posture relaxed at the sound of Inuyasha's gruff voice. Lowering the barrier enough to allow him into the room, she smiled when he walked in.

"Hey, Yasha."

Inuyasha appraised all of them, eyebrows raised at the tension in the room. "What the hell is going on?"

Kagome motioned for him to sit and explained everything she'd been talking to her friend's about. She described what she'd seen in the hallway, explained what she heard.

"According to Sesshoumaru, he'd never met the true lady of the South before. He had no idea that this woman was Naraku's puppet. Naraku knows that I'm here and took advantage of the ceremony to plant someone here to watch us."

For a moment, Kagome remembered the look on the queen's face when Kagome had won the tournament. "I think the dragon I fought during the tournament was meant to kill me. The puppet was angry when I won," she said absentmindedly. With a sharp shake of her head, she focused back on her friends.

"We need to act as normally as possible. Our best chance is to corner her when there are as few people around as possible. I know that it'll be hard, _believe me,_ but it's what we have to do."

The other three nodded solemnly. It was quite for a moment and each of them was struck by how familiar this was. Yet how different. They'd all grown in the time they'd been apart, faced different challenges and obstacles that developed them as people. It was familiar though and comforting in a time of tension. Kagome found herself smiling at them, allowing herself a moment to relax.

"For now, we have the ball to focus on. You're all, obviously, invited. I understand if you don't want to go."

The slayer and the monk shared a surprised look before shrugging. "It sounds like it'll be interesting, to say the least," Miroku said with a grin. Kagome laughed and nodded.

"Alright, I need to go back to Sesshoumaru and the kids. The ball is in an hour. A servant will come get you when it's time to go." She glanced at Inuyasha. "Will you be there?"

Inuyasha's ear turned back toward his head and he scoffed. "Maybe, I don't know." His mind strays to Akimi for a moment, wondering if he would see her there. A blush lights his cheeks and he turns away to hide it. Kagome stares curiously for only a moment before shrugging.

"I need to go back to Sesshoumaru. Like I said, I'll come get you when it's time to go."

Sango and Miroku nod before Sango hugs Kagome tightly. "Be careful, please."

Kagome smiles. "Of course I will. You too." When she pulls away, she gives Sango a serious, almost stern look. "Please don't do anything reckless."

Sango bristles at the comment for a moment, ready to argue, but lets the feeling fall away. She just smiles tiredly and nods.

They hug for another second before Kagome pulls away and leaves with a wave.

As she's walking down the hallways toward their rooms, Kagome can't help the crawling feeling along her skin. She can feel Naraku's presence in the castle now, feel his eyes on her. It makes her walk more quickly and by the time she's back to her door, she's gasping. Knocking on the door, she waits for someone to let her in.

She hears feet pad along the floor before a soft voice meets her ears. "What's Kagome's cat's name?"

Kagome is proud of Shippou's steady voice. "Buyo," she whispers as softly as she can manage.

The door slide open quickly and Shippou threw himself into Kagome's legs. The miko gently ushered him inside, hand on his back to steady him.

"Hey, Shippou, it's okay. I'm back." She kneels down to hug him tightly. The fox kit grips her almost desperately. Kagome picks him up easily, walking with him over to where Sesshoumaru was watching passively. She saw relief in his eyes though. She smiles reassuringly. Kagome sits down with Shippou in her lap.

"I talked to my friends. They understand the situation and they'll help us capture her."

Sesshoumaru nods approvingly. They sit quietly for a few minutes before Kagome taps Shippou's back gently.

"I need to get ready for the ball, little guy." Shippou pulls away slowly and reluctantly. The rims of his eyes are tinged red from crying.

"Do Shippou and Rin get to go too?" the little girl pipes up from Sesshoumaru's lap. Her eyes are wide and uncertain. Kagome smiles sadly.

"No, Rin, I'm sorry. There will be too many people there and we can't risk you getting lost or hurt."

Large tears gather in Rin's eyes, slowly dripping down her cheeks. Shippou is crying again too, pressing himself tightly against Kagome and refusing to be moved. Kagome sighs as she rubs Shippou's back.

"We won't be gone for very long. You'll be safe in here with Jaken. Nothing is going to happen to us," she whispers reassuringly against his hair, kissing the crown of his head. Shippou hiccups in her arms, but nevertheless tentatively nods his head. Smiling proudly, she moves to set Shippou down beside her.

"I'm going to go and get ready, can you take them into your room?" Sesshoumaru nods and gently leads the children toward the adjoining door.

"I'll get you in half an hour." Kagome grins and nods. When the door shuts behind them, she lets out a huge sigh. Abruptly, she realizes how tired she is. It had been a painfully long day and it was hard to be excited about an equally long evening. Rallying some of her strength, she sets to bathing and getting dressed for the ball. It takes her ten minutes to bathe. She's reluctant to leave the warm, relaxing water. It takes all her resolve to drag herself out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She goes about drying her hair and intricately pinning it up. When she's satisfied with her hair, she does her make up quickly. It occurs to her that she's worn more make up in the last two days than she has in the last five years. She chuckles at the thought.

Standing from her vanity, she turns around to look at the kimono she'd laid out. She'd chosen a shade of blue that almost looked grey. She dressed quickly, tying the obi and pulling on her last layer just as Sesshoumaru pushed open her door.

The demon lord wasn't dressed much differently than he had been the last few days. Just as regal and royal as ever. His long hair had been braided down his back. Kagome noticed with yellow ribbon at the end with a smile.

"Are you ready?"

Kagome nods and walks toward him.

"I never asked what the ball is going to be like," she mentions as they walk out of her room. Sesshoumaru hums in the back of his throat thoughtfully.

"It is much like the celebration after the tournament, though a little more formal. There will be drinking and music," he explains. "This is typically when I would announce a mate," he adds as an afterthought.

Kagome stiffens at the comment. Her hands clench into fists before she can stop them. Sesshoumaru takes notice of these things and touches her wrist comfortingly.

"I do not need to do that tonight, if I do not wish."

Kagome can hear his hidden reassurance. _'I do not need to do that if you aren't ready.'_ She rolls the idea around in her head for a moment before shaking her head slowly.

"It doesn't feel like an appropriate time," she reasons, thoughts firmly on Naraku. Sesshoumaru nods in agreement. They're quiet for the rest of the walk toward the ballroom. Already, Kagome can hear the beat of drums. They stand in front of the grand double doors, servants on each side. The demon reaches out of grip Kagome's hand gently. Kagome hears the chattering beyond the door start to quiet and feels her heartrate speed up. She'd never been one for being the center of attention.

Before she can even think about walking away, the servants are pulling the door open. Sesshoumaru confidently leads her inside.

The room is filled with all the people she'd seen last night. She sees Kouga and Ayame, dressed in their finest, to the left of them. Familiar faces serve to calm her down some and she starts to relax. The crowd bows to them, which they return in unison. Then, in the blink of an eye, the music has started and everyone turns back to their conversations. Kagome lets out a loud sigh of relief.

The two join the flow of the ball, speaking with their friends and sipping drinks. Kagome is more cautious this time, sipping slowly from a glass instead of chugging from the bottle. She wanted to keep her wits about her tonight. She waves Sango and Miroku over when she sees them.

"Kagome! You look beautiful!" Sango gushes, hugging the miko tightly. Kagome thanks her.

"You look amazing too," Kagome says. She sips at her drink slowly, looking around the room. It was hard to relax and enjoy the party, knowing that any one of these people could be connected to Naraku. The hanyou had proven he could get someone into the stronghold and it made Kagome paranoid. _'Understandably so,'_ she thinks to herself sardonically. Sango seems to read her thoughts and rests a hand on her arm.

"Everything is going to be okay," the slayer whispers forcefully. Kagome looks into her dark eyes and slowly nods. She smiles sheepishly.

"You're right, let's enjoy the ball."

The trio makes their rounds along the room, talking to their friends along the way. Kouga gives her a knowing look with a raised eyebrow, causing Kagome to blush.

"How was your night last night, Kagome?" he asks knowingly. Kagome swats his arm and tries to grimace.

"None of your business." Kouga laughed heartily at her, pulling her into a crushing hug. Kagome returns it with a goodhearted laugh. They're reminiscing when Sesshoumaru appears beside the miko, wrapping an arm around her waist. Kagome leans against him, feeling a little bit tipsy, and sighs.

"It is good to see you relaxing," he whispers to her. Kagome nods.

"Something still feels wrong," Kagome whispers back. There's something nagging at her mind and pulling out her reiki. She couldn't place exactly what the feeling was, but it was definitely familiar. It makes her skin crawl and she shudders against him. His arm tightens, helping ground her. She smiles appreciatively. The miko is just about to ask him how he's feeling when an aura brushes against hers. She stiffens immediately, turning her head to train her eyes on the door. Her brow scrunches up, not believing what she felt. The next second she felt another aura hit hers. It was approaching the room quickly. Kagome pulls away, moving to meet them halfway. She was a step away from the door, Sesshoumaru close behind her, when it was pulled open to reveal Inuyasha. The half demon was breathing heavily, staring at his friend with wide eyes.

"Did you feel it?" he demands immediately. Kagome nods frantically.

"Yeah. Was it her?" Inuyasha nods back at her. His eyes keep darting around, looking for someone who wasn't there.

"She's close to the castle, really close." Inuyasha was shocked to feel the miko's reiki so close to the stronghold. She had made it very clear to the hanyou that she had no interest in entire the demon settlement. Her presence so close threw Inuyasha toward a panic. Kagome sensed this and reached out to touch his arm.

"Go see what's going on." Kagome felt a huge, foreboding looming over them. Something was very, very wrong.

Inuyasha was staring at her with wide eyes, searching for something in her face. He seemed to find it because he nodded firmly. He gripped her hand tightly for the briefest moment before turning to leave. Kagome knew he was looking for some comfort and some strength. She squeezed his hand tightly before he was gone. He ran out of the castle and into the descending night. Kagome watched with a hand held to her chest. The anxiety twisting in her chest was making it hard to breathe. She wasn't she why Kikyou's call had felt so significant, but she couldn't ignore the cloud of despair she felt floating over her.

Sesshoumaru stood beside her, having passively watched the situation. Seeing the panic in the two had risen his instinct to protect his pack. His arm wrapped around Kagome protectively. He grumbled low in his chest in an attempt to calm her. It helped some, her posture loosened and her hand fell from her chest.

"What is happening?"

Kagome sighed and shrugged. "We aren't sure. It's Kikyou. She's near the castle and calling Inuyasha." She was staring out the double doors with far away eyes. "I can feel it in my soul too."

Sesshoumaru stares at her passively, momentarily impressed again by the strength of this girl. Everything she had experienced in this time had been faced with half of her soul, while the other half was corrupted. He leans down to press his nose against the top of her head, breathing in her scent slowly. Kagome leans into the embrace, soaking in the comfort he was offering to her.

After a moment, the bubble around them popped and Kagome abruptly realized they were still at the ball. No one seemed to notice her quiet conversation with Inuyasha. Pulling away slowly, she smiled up at Sesshoumaru and nodded her head toward the party.

"We should get back, you have mingling to do," she teased. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her, opting instead to take her hand and lead her toward her friends.

They settle back into the swing of the ball quickly, sipping drinks and laughing with each other. Taimu finds them some time later, obviously drunk and grinning goofily.

"Kagome! You look ravishing." His voice is loud and booming, startling a group of people near them. He doesn't notice. Kagome smiles at him.

"Thank you. Where is your wife?"

"She is staying with the children in our rooms. This isn't her kind of event." Taimu's tone is good natured and fond. Kagome nods understandingly, unable to picture his timid wife being comfortable here. They chat for a few minutes before Taimu sees someone else he knows and respectfully excuses himself.

The rest of the night is spent making pleasant conversation and Kagome trying to ignore the tugging of her spirit in her chest. Sesshoumaru can see her struggle at times and offers reassurance in the form of touching her wrists and squeezing her hand. Her grip is always tight and desperate.

When they retire for the night, Sango and Miroku leave the ball with them.

"We saw you talking to Inuyasha. What's going on?" Miroku inquires while they walk. Kagome sighs heavily.

"Kikyou is near the castle. She called for Inyusha."

The slayer and monk are surprised by this, both blinkingly owlishly.

"Kikyou? She refused to come near the castle when we arrived."

"I know, Inuyasha told me. That's why we're nervous. We have no idea what she wants."

Sango hums thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling and trying to think of a reason the clay miko would be here.

"Maybe she's upset that Inuyasha is here. We all know how she can be with him."

Kagome remembered like it was yesterday. The possessive way that her counterpart treated her friend. For so long, it elicited a fury in Kagome. Now, the miko was just worried about her best friend. She chewed on her lip, desperately trying to figure out what was going on. They walked quietly toward Sango and Miroku's room, the silence tense.

"You see off the houses tomorrow?" Sango murmurs in the quiet hallway. Kagome nods, more anxiety weighing her down at the thought.

"Around midday in the main entrance hall. She should be the last we see off." The priestess notices Sango's tightly curled fists. Miroku is quiet next to her, rubbing his hand along her spine soothingly. They stop in front of Sango and Miroku's room, the two women hug tightly.

"Everything is going to be okay, Kagome. Inuyasha will be fine," Sango whispers into her shoulder. Kagome nods against her, having nothing to say. They separate slowly and Kagome waves goodbye.

The demon and the miko walk in silence to their room, each lost in their own thoughts. So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours, leaving them both with plenty to think about.

The children are beside themselves with relief and joy when they entire Kagome's room. The latch themselves to the miko immediately, hugging as tightly as their little bodies could. Kagome gathers them both in her arms, sitting with them and absorbing the special kind of comfort they gave. They talk excitedly about the books they'd read and showed the miko drawings they had done.

"These are both beautiful," she whispers, imagining the drawings pinned to her refrigerator at home. The idea fills her with nostalgia and fondness, reminding her of her own drawings that were still hung there. After a few more minutes of talking, Kagome helps the two get ready for bed. It's quickly decided that they'll sleep in Kagome's room tonight, while Kagome and Sesshoumaru stay in theirs. Both are excited by the idea.

"It's a sleep over!" Shippou says excitedly, his eyes shining. Kagome laughs and ruffles both of their heads.

"If you two need anything, just come get us. There's still a barrier around our rooms, so you'll be safe in here." The children nod at her words, relieved to be so close to them tonight.

Once their tucked in and Kagome kisses each of their foreheads, her and Sesshoumaru go to their own room. Kagome deflates the minute their door is closed. She can't remember a time when she'd been so worn down, emotionally and physically. The only instance that comes to mind is when she'd found herself alone in this era. She slumps against the door frame and lets out a long sigh.

"It's been a long two days," she whispers, still feeling the aches and pains from the tournament. It's amazing that it had been just yesterday; it felt like it was a thousand years ago. More memories of the night flooded to her mind and she found herself blushing. With some force, she swallows down her embarrassment and moves into the room. She offers Sesshoumaru a tired smile, which is returned with a soft look.

He, too, can't believe how much had occurred in the last couple of days. The events of the days are oddly spaced in his memories, some stretching longer than others. He remembers their night together with a satisfied smile. Kagome blushes again at the look and fiddles with a stray thread on her sleeve.

"You must be tired of wearing such heavy clothing. Come, it is to retire for the night."

Kagome is reassured by his relaxed tone and smiles shyly. The two spend a few minutes changing for bed, Kagome's blush runs to the tips of hear ears as she strips out of her clothing. Once her sleeping yukata was secure, the exhaustion seemed to hit her tenfold. She slumped into bed quickly, splayed out over the futon. Sesshoumaru growls at her playfully, laying down in the best next to her and forcing her to move over. Kagome obliges, shuffling over to her side and wiggling under the covers. The weight is comforting and familiar, making her eyes droop sleepily.

There's still a tight knot in her chest though. She feels when Sesshoumaru falls into sleep. She stays awake, unseeing eyes staring up at the dark ceiling. The feel of her soul tugging in her chest was constant and strained, making it impossible to fall asleep. Kagome feels a deep sort of desperation as time continues and the feeling persists. It isn't until hours later, due to sheer exhaustion, that Kagome falls into a fitful sleep. She dreams of betrayal and death, all to the tune of distorted laughter. Even in her dreams, the ache in her soul remains.


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome wakes up ill rested and cranky. There's a dull ache in her chest and pounding in her head. When she cracks her eyes open, the early morning sunshine blinds her and she shuts them quickly. She grumbles when Sesshoumaru nudged her shoulder insistently.

"It is time to get up, Kagome." She could tell that he was impatient, but her bad night of sleep kept her from caring. She curled into the blankets and resolved to sleep for another eight hours. As irritated as Sesshoumaru found this behavior, he noted that it was very unlike Kagome. She was usually one to get up at dawn and start her day, either by meditating or training before waking the children. He'd watched her do this almost every day that they'd been in Nishi together. Deciding that something must be wrong for her to be acting this way, the demon lord sank to sit next to her and run a clawed hand through her hair. He'd seen her do it to Rin before. He smiled when she relaxed into the touch.

"What is wrong?"

He listens to Kagome sigh into their pillows. She doesn't particularly want to talk about what's bothering her, mostly because she didn't particularly want to think about it anymore than she already was. Kikyou and Naraku had plagued her dreams the entire night and she didn't want to dwell on them while she was awake too.

"I didn't sleep well last night. I couldn't relax." There's something heavy about her tone, giving Sesshoumaru some idea of how much the situation was affecting her. He rests his hand against her cheek. Kagome hums quietly at the contact, turning her head into his hand and kissing his palm. Sesshoumaru smiles the smallest smile and rubs a hand along her face.

"I am sorry, Kagome, but we need to get ready." His voice is gentler this time, softening some of Kagome's foul mood. She sighs more quietly this time before pushing herself into a sitting position. The change in position makes her head pound harder and for a moment, she's too dizzy to move. The demon lord reached out to grip her arms gently, helping her to stand out of bed. She smiles appreciatively, but Sesshoumaru can see the exhaustion in her face. For a second, he considers letting her stay here. She was in no condition to confront the Naraku's puppet. He knows, though, that even with how fatigued she is, she won't allow herself to stay behind while her friends confront the woman alone. She's too protective and proud to do such a thing. In most circumstances, it would only make Sesshoumaru respect her more than he already did. Now, it only served to make him worried.

The demon lord watches as his companion stretches up onto her tip toes, arms raised high above her head. She's more alert now that she's standing and some of the shadows have been chased away from her eyes. Her smile is more genuine now, closer to her normal demeanor. She hums under her breath as she goes about getting ready for the day, setting out a yukata and disappearing for ten minutes to take a bath. When she returns, her long hair is braided down her back and color has returned to her cheeks.

"Ready to go?" she asked cheerfully. Sesshoumaru can tell that a certain amount of the tone is forced, but is too relieved to see her closer to normal to question it. He nods and offers his hand to her. He can easily read the surprise in her expression, but it disappears quickly when she slides her hand into his. Normally he would no display their closeness so openly around the castle, but he made an exception today. The demon lord could tell that she would need the support and comfort today.

"We should go find the children," Kagome comments as they walk. The two hadn't been in her room when she'd gone to bathe, but a short note from Jaken informed her that he'd taken them to breakfast. For a moment, Kagome was frozen with anger and worry at the idea of the kids being away from them somewhere in the castle. The feeling ebbed away though when she thought about the fact that Jaken was escorting them. As much as she disliked the kappa, she knew that he would lay down his life in a heartbeat to protect the children. Even if it might only be to escape Sesshoumaru's wrath. She'd sent out her reiki, combing the castle for any sign of Naraku's puppet. Finding none, she was able to full relaxed and continue getting ready for the day.

Now, that worry had started to resurface, urging her to find them quickly. She unknowingly increases their pace down the hall, always a step or two ahead of Sesshoumaru. She quickly pushes open the dining hall doors, eyes searching for her children. She relaxes when they enthusiastically greet her from their seats at the end of the table.

"Good morning, you two. Did you sleep well?" she asks as she sits herself next to them, Sesshoumaru taking his set at the head of the table to her left. She starts taking small bites of her breakfast while they talk.

"Yeah! It was really fun. Rin hogs the covers though."

An indignant blush rises to the small girl's cheeks. "I do not! Shippou takes up most of the futon!" she snaps back quickly. Shippou glares at her and crosses his arms over his chest. Kagome smiles at them both.

"Maybe we'll get a second futon and so more blankets. How does that sound?" The kids nod quickly, once against smiling cheerfully.

Sesshoumaru is amazed at her patience with the children. Her kind tone makes his chest warm and his beast sighs happily in the back of his head.

' _Such a good mother.'_ His voice is wistfully. Sesshoumaru can't help but agrees as he watches her interact with their children.

" _Our children,"_ he thinks for the first time, wondering when he had adopted the kit as his own as well. The boy had been a part of his pack since the moment he'd formally accepted Kagome. Sesshoumaru thinks that it might have been when the boy had demanded her protect Kagome from the maid that had been controlled by Naraku. At the time, the demon lord remembered being impressed by the kit's steady voice and stern expression. Sesshoumaru had been proud of the fox's maturity and composure. Regardless of when the transition had happened, the taiyoukai knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Shippou was just as much his as Rin was.

"What are we doing today?" Shippou asks after the small group lapsed into silence. Kagome swallows her bite and smiles at him.

"You and Rin will need to stay in my room again for the day. Sesshoumaru and I have to see off the other houses."

"Are we still in danger?" Rin asks quietly, eyes flickering toward the door. Kagome pats her head soothingly.

"A little bit, yes. That's why you're going to stay in my room with Jaken today. I promise as soon as everything is alright, we can play outside. Can you and Shippou be good for Jaken again?"

The children nod in unison, though Kagome can easily see the disappointment in their face.

"Good job. Now, go with Jaken and we'll come get you later today." She kisses each of their foreheads before ushering them toward where Jaken is standing near the door. The run toward him, already talking about what they want to color. Kagome watches them go with an uneasy knot in her stomach. She wishes she could stay with them, protect them herself. She reminds herself again that Jaken will be with them and the knot loosens some. Turning to Sesshoumaru, she offers her hand. Sesshoumaru stands and takes it, leading them out of the dining hall and toward Sango and Miroku's room.

Kagome knocks and lets the slayer know it's them. Sango pulls the door open with a smile and steps aside to let them in. Kagome hugs her briefly.

"Did you sleep last night?" Sango's asks with a worried tone, eyeing the dark circles under her friend's eyes. Kagome smiles weakly and shrugs.

"A little bit. I'm okay though," she reassures. Sango hums disapproving, but doesn't say anymore.

"When are you seeing everyone off?" Miroku inquires. Kagome faces falls into a more serious look.

"Soon, they leave early to take advantage of the daylight to travel to their homes. It'll be Kouga, the Northern house, and then the Southern. We haven't felt Naraku's puppet in the castle all morning, so I'm not sure if she'll actually be here."

"And you're sure she isn't hiding her presence again?" Miroku asks. Kagome shakes her head.

"Once I feel it once, I should be able to feel it again. It's harder to look for something I don't know exists, but knowing what she feels like, I'd know instantly if she was here." Miroku nods his understanding.

"You two will stand outside the hall toward the courtyards. If she gets past the two of us, you'll intervene." The slayer and the monk nod.

"Has Inuyasha returned yet?" Sesshoumaru intones.

"Not that we know of," Sango answers with a shrug. Kagome puts a hand to her chest, feeling her soul clench anxiously. It feels like Kikyou is farther away from the stronghold now.

"Kikyou feels farther away now. I can't sense Inuyasha though," Kagome whispers, breathing a little easier knowing that the clay miko was no longer near. She worried, though, that she didn't know if Inuyasha was with her. Sango rubs her arm comfortingly.

"I'm sure that he's safe. It'll take a lot more than Kikyou to kill him"

Kagome, unable to argue with that, nods slowly and smiles. "You're right. I'm sure he'sure he's alright." Kagome takes a deep breath to dispel the uneasy in her belly. "Alright, we need to go and get ready. Be in the front hall in ten minutes."

Sesshoumaru and Kagome leave the room hand in hand, missing the look Sango and Miroku share at the sight.

They walk quietly down the hallway, each lost in their own thoughts. Kagome tries desperately to ignore the ball of dread curling in her stomach. She moves her hand from Sesshoumaru up to his wrist, concentrating on the strong beat of his pulse. The demon lord glances down at her, observing her scrunch brow and the way she chews on her bottom lip.

"Relax, Kagome," he murmurs. "Our plan is well thought out and we are prepared." He doesn't tell her not to worry because he knows they'd be wasted words. Even he was uneasy about their current situation. Twice now Naraku had managed to control someone within the walls of his home. The thought fills the demon with rage, his youki momentarily flaring out around the castle. He regrets the loss of control at the wide eyed look Kagome gives him.

"What's wrong?" she asks quickly. The miko pushes out her reiki, searching every inch of the castle for Naraku's aura. Sesshoumaru pulls his hand away to touch her cheek softly.

"I apologize, I lost my composure. I do not sense her here yet."

Kagome nods slowly, she hadn't felt the puppet either. She relaxes a fraction and lets out a long, tired sigh.

"I'm ready for this to be over." Her voice is resigned and more tired than Sesshoumaru's ever heard it. He nods his agreement.

"As am I."

They arrive at the main hallways a few minutes later, moving to stand at the head of the room. Kagome adjusts he yukata some. She wishes she could be in her training clothes right now, instead of the restricting clothing her was in. She tugs the fabric gently, judging how easy it would be to tear is she needed the addition mobility. Confident she could tear it if she needed to, she settles and stands still.

"Kouga should be here soon, yeah?"

"Yes, they are approaching now." Kagome nods, feeling the jewel shards get closer to them. She straightens her posture and holds her head high, ignoring the fluttering in her chest.

The first of the wolves enter the hall slowly, all more relaxed now than they had been when they'd arrived. Kagome had become friends with most of them during the visit. They smiled and waved small waves to her as they lined up in front of them. Kouga and Ayame come in last, both smiling easily. Kagome wishes she could warn Kouga, but knew that this wasn't the space for it.

Kouga stands before the two of them tall and proud.

"I would like to thank you both for welcoming me and my own into your home," he says casually. It had been good to see his friends, to see that they were alright. With Naraku becoming a larger threat every day, it was reassuring to see that they were alright. He knew that there may come a time when they were not.

Kagome smiles at him thankfully. "It was a pleasure to have your company. I look forward to welcoming you here again."

Sesshoumaru doesn't offer his own comment, but tilts his head respectfully at the pair of wolves. Kouga copies his motion. With one last smile at his friend, and a brief hug between Ayame and Kagome, the wolves trail out of the room and out of sight.

Kagome watch them with sad eyes, wishing that they didn't have to leave. She's just about to make a comment about being happy to see them when she catches the feeling of a particular aura in the castle. She stiffens.

"She's here," she whispers barely loud enough to hear. Sesshoumaru nods, having felt the same thing.

"I will monitor her movement," he replies. Kagome nods, focusing on the members of the cat tribe filtering into the hallway. She grins at the look of joy and pride on Taimu's face. Once he's standing in front of them, he bows to them both.

"It was an honor and pleasure to be welcomed into the castle of the West."

"It was an honor to have you. Please have a safe journey home."

Taimu smiles warmly. "We will do so. Thank you, Kagome."

After they all bowed briefly, the cats leave the same way the wolves did before they disappeared into the courtyard. Kagome pays them no mind, thoughts immediately on the Southern lady. Her aura is near the room now, accompanied by her people. Kagome notices that they all have a strange air about them, feeling bits of Naraku's energy there. It turns Kagome's stomach that so many of Naraku's puppets had been able to breach the castle.

The first of the snakes to come through have blank faces. They're so different from the smug looks they'd worn when they'd arrived at the castle. This look was even more unnerving than the last, something Kagome didn't think was possible. The entire house wears the same look, save for the Southern lady herself. Her face is filled with barely conceal arrogance, her mouth upturned smugly. She glides to stand before them, looking just as regal as ever. Kagome immediately notices that Kohaku was not with her. In an odd way, it makes Kagome happy. She was relieved they would not have to fight him.

"It was certainly interesting to be in the home of the Western lord." Her voice falls smoothly from her mouth. Kagome is struck with the urge to hurt this woman. This woman that had hidden in wait in her home. This woman who threatened everything Kagome held dear. The miko has to clench her fists to resist the temptation.

"We agree with you, lady of the South," she forces out as evenly as she can. Reiki dances at her finger tips at the condescending look she's given. Sesshoumaru flashes her a quick look of warning, silently telling her to calm down. It takes a deep breath before Kagome attempts an easy smile.

"We wish you a safe journey home." Her voice is still strained, but more controlled than it had been. The miko glances quickly at the door, seeing Sango and Miroku inch their way in. The southern lady doesn't seem to notice the momentary lapse in attention.

"We will do so," the puppet replies in parting, turning gracefully to leave the room. She falters at the sight of the slayer and monk standing, weapons in hand, in front of the door. She looks back at the miko.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Kagome can't help but scoff. "You know exactly what this is." The puppet's wide, furious eyes served to satisfy some of Kagome's own anger. She allows her reiki to flow to her fingertips. "We know that Naraku sent you here."

A brief look of shock crosses the lady's face before she's grimacing again. "Why would you think such a thing?" She strives to keep her voice airy, but there's a bite to it that she can't hide. Kagome smiles smugly.

"I saw you in the hallway with Kohaku."

Anger washes over the puppet's face. The snake curses herself for her sloppiness. When she doesn't respond Kagome feels momentary satisfaction before she glares at the woman.

"It's over, you're surrounded."

The southern lady scoffs and waves an arm in front of her. "This is two to one, miko. You can't possibly think you stand a chan—"

Sesshoumaru's whip curls from body to body among the southern house, slicing and killing each of them. Their bodies fall heavily to the floor, black ooze spilling out of them. When the last falls with a final thud, there's dead stillness in the room. The southern lady can't believe what she had seen. For the first time, she feels a whisper of fear in her chest. It had never occurred to her that she may fail. She steps back hastily when Kagome walks toward her.

"Surrender, there's no escape."

The snake grins cheekily and tuts at her. "Now that's where you're wrong, priestess."

In a flash of movement, miasma pours out of the woman's body, twisting and curling around her. It fills the room quickly, choking the occupants. Kagome gasps for breathe and focuses on pushing her reiki against the poison. She can only spread it out slowly, still choking and heaving for breath. When a wave of it whispers near the southern lady, she feels something strange. It felt like a second aura was emanating from the woman. When another wave washes toward her, she's positive that the miko's aura is mingled with anothers. It's only barely noticeable, just a small whisper of a presence. A sick, twisted grin curls her mouth.

' _Most fortunate,'_ the snake thinks. She was overjoyed at this bit of information. Naraku was going to be pleased. With a wave of her hand, another flood of miasma fills the small hallway. Considering her body was made of the miasma she was spilling into the room, it was impossible to track her as she moved through the room. She just felt like more miasma. Kagome could hear her cackling from somewhere in the room.

"Be prepared, shikon miko. This will only end in loss."

In a quick move, the snake rushes through the room and out the exit. She brings the miasma with her, forming a large cloud that takes her high in the sky and away from the castle. The snake watches closely to make sure that she isn't followed before she turns her eyes toward the horizon. She allows herself one more self-satisfied smile. ' _How fortunate indeed.'_

The group runs outside just in time to see her disappear among the clouds. Sesshoumaru growls loudly, summoning his own cloud to pursue her. Kagome's hand on his arm stills him though and he throws her a sharp look. Her own face is blotched red from coughing and her eyes are watering.

"It's not a good idea to follow her." The woman's final words filled her head, making her cautious. It was such specific wording. She could have said it would end in death or in pain. She chose loss though. The intensity of the word had an impact on the miko that she couldn't fully explain. She gripped Sesshoumaru a little more tightly, silently pleading with him.

Sesshoumaru relaxes fractionally and nods. While he knows that the end of this battle is nearing, he knew that today was not that day. He can't help but sigh loudly though, frustrated by the puppet's ability to escape them. Naraku's puppets grew more bothersome with each one he created. Kagome rubs his arm once.

"It's okay. At least she's gone."

Sesshoumaru only grunts. He turns back toward the castle, intent to go to his study. If the end to this feud was truly coming, there were arrangements he needed to make. First and foremost, invite the eastern and northern lords to return to the castle. Kouga deserved a hand in the hanyou's defeat and the demon lord was sure that Taimu would want to offer his own support. Kagome watches him go with a sigh as Sango and Miroku walk toward her.

"He's angry," she comments quietly, not looking forward to following him.

"He's not the only one," Sango says with a deep scowl. She'd wanted to follow the woman too, demand to know where Kohaku was. She saw the logic in letting her escape though. Kagome lets out a loud sigh.

"I should go speak with him." Her voice is resigned as she waves goodbye to her friends and jogs toward Sesshoumaru's retreating figure. He's turning a corner toward his office when Kagome catches up to him. They walk in silence to his study, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. The demon lord ushers the miko into the room, snapping the door shut behind him. Kagome can tell that he's irritated and tries not to take it personally.

"At least no one is hurt," she points out before he can say anything. She grimaces when Sesshoumaru all but scoffs at her.

"We should not have let her get away."

"It wasn't a time to confront her. She has a power we don't understand that defeated us in less than a minute. What was confronting her going to get us?"

"Are you saying she could defeat us?"

Kagome can hear that he's actually asking: _'Do you think that she could defeat me?'_ Her anger softens some and she steps toward him. Reaching out gingerly, she grips his wrists tightly.

"I just don't think it was a good move. We would be successful, but at what cost?" Her voice is soft. Sesshoumaru relaxes at her touch. There's still a fury there, but he has to acknowledge her logic. Settling down, he lets out a long breath. It's rare to see him so riled up and it made Kagome frown. In an effort to distract him, she takes his hand and pulls him toward the door.

"Let's go play with the kids. We promised, remember?"

Sesshoumaru lets out an uncharacteristic snort. "I believe that you promised them."

Kagome smiles cheekily. "Yeah, but it won't hurt to get a little break." She doesn't give him time to reply before she's tugging in him out the office and toward their rooms. Sesshoumaru allows himself to be lead, forever struck by the tenacity of this little woman.

' _She will never cease to amaze me,'_ he thinks as he lets himself be led.

Three days later and they've all started to relax. There was no sign of Naraku or his puppets and the castle had been calm. Each waking moment, Kagome has her reiki completely spread out in search of danger. She spent most of her time in the library, reading the history of the inuyoukais and outside in the grass, watching the children play. Sesshoumau had warned her against using her powers so consistently.

"You are only serving to weaken yourself." But she refused to listen. Something inside her urged her to be alert and ready. It was almost a compulsion to create the barrier.

She's sitting the shadow of a large tree, watching Rin and Shippou run around, when something disrupts her barrier. Whipping around to stare toward the gates of the stronghold, she watches them open slowly. The guards were under strict orders to let no one into the castle yet. _"You never know if he'll send another puppet,"_ she had warned the guards. Worried and furious, she's already standing and walking toward them when she processes who it is.

Sango and Miroku are calling after her, following her quickly. She ignores them. She can see the red of his robes now and the bright white of his hair. Kagome immediately notices the slash along his cheek and the slight notch in one of his ears. Worry strong and heavy in her stomach, she rushes toward him.

"Inuyasha, what happened?" she demands, putting a hand to his cheek and urging her reiki to heal him. With most of it spread over the grounds, the healing is slower than usual. His blood is sticky on her hand. Inuyasha grins in appreciation.

"I confronted Kikyou," he murmurs, voice soft with sadness. Kagome could easily see the signs of heartbreak in his face. Kagome saw bits of herself there. She hugs the half demon tightly pressing her face against his shoulder. His arms wind around her to return the embrace.

"We fought," he whispered only loud enough for her to hear. Kagome grips him more tightly, pouring all the support and love she can into a single hug. She's at a lost for what to say. She knew that nothing was going to erase the heaviness in his voice. She remembered this feeling all too well and it triggered an ancient ache in her chest.

"I'm so sorry." While Inuyasha had rejected his fate to accompany Kikyou to hell, she still held importance in his life. She may be a shadow of the woman he loved, but that didn't change the fact that he had loved her. He was losing her again and he couldn't deny that it hurt like hell.

Regaining some composure, he pulls away from Kagome. Sango and Miroku have joined them now, both looking as worried as Kagome. They don't have a chance to ask before Inuyasha is talking again.

"She shot at me, caught me off guard," he reached up to touch the notch in his ear, "her soul collectors took her away."

"Why are you only just returning?" Miroku asks, wondering what Inuyasha had been doing for the four days since the ball. Kagome is curious too and looks at Inuyasha with wide eyes. The hanyou grimaces.

"I followed her. I stayed far enough back so that she couldn't detect me."

Something in Kagome's chest restricts tightly, making it hard to breathe. "Where did she go?" she asks frantically, gripping Inuyasha's sleeve firmly. "Inuyasha, where did she go?"

Something is fragile about the half demon in that moment. His eyes are dull and his ears flattened.

"She went to him."

None of them needed to ask who Inuyasha was talking about. Naraku. They all knew that the clay priestess had aligned herself with the vile half demon, but now they had proof. Undeniable proof. For Kagome is was almost reassuring, knowing that her gut feeling had been correct. For Inuyasha, it was some emotion close to heartbreak that he couldn't fully put him finger on. Miroku ends the moment of tense silence.

"Did you find him?"

Inuyasha's nod makes Kagome gasp. "You know where he's hiding?" She isn't sure why she's whispering. Inuyasha looks down at her to nod again.

"Yeah. Just over the western border into the south. He's using one of the castles there. There's a barrier around it, but I could see the miasma."

The group stand in silence, all digesting this information. After years of searching, they'd finally found where Naraku was hiding. It was no wonder they hadn't found him sooner. They'd only gone into the southern territory a handful of times. It was rare that a jewel shard appeared in that region. The perfect place for Naraku to hide.

"I have to go and tell Sesshoumaru." She's jogging away before they can say anything.

Sesshoumaru's aura is steady and strong inside the castle. She can tell that he's in his study. When she comes jogging down the hall, gasping for breath, Sesshoumaru is already a feet from the door to his office.

"What has happened?" He smells no blood on her, which is a small relief. She's gulps down one last steadying breath before speaking.

"Inuyasha found Naraku's castle."

Of all the things she could have said, this was low on the list of things Sesshoumaru would have guessed. Without a word, he pulls her into his study and erects a barrier.

"How?" he demands. Kagome's heard is still thundering in her chest and it takes her a moment to speak.

"He followed Kikyou there. It's over the border to the south." She takes a deep breath before continuing. "We hardly ever went into the southern territory during our travels. It's the perfect place to hide."

The demon lord nods at her logic, mind already working on battle plans. "I have already sent out requests of aid for Kouga and Taimu. A messenger should return within the day with their responses."

"Kouga will definitely come. I'm sure of it. I believe Taimu will too. Once he knows that there was a direct attack in the castle, he's sure to help."

Sesshoumaru agrees with her. "I need to begin preparations. You will work and train with the troops. We will need some of their support and I want them to be ready."

Kagome agrees with a short nods. She gives the tiniest of smiles. "Everything is going to be alright."

Sesshoumaru isn't sure if she's reassuring him or herself. He doesn't ask. With his own swift nod, he sits down at his desk to begin plans. Kagome leans over to kiss the crown of his head before leaving the room. When she's gone, the demon lord touches the spot gently. With a small smile, he returns his attentions to paperwork and instructed a maid of find Hiyashi.

Its four days later when Taimu and Kouga return to the castle of the West. Their company is much different this time. They were all clearly warriers, no longer dressed in fine clothing. Kagome was comforted by the familiar company of the eastern wolf tribe. She helps train all the visiting soldiers alongside the army of the west. Daiki helps her as well, seeing at it would be hard for Kagome to teach so many troops on her own.

The troops, for the most part, show her the utmost respect. The soldier of the west tell their new allies of the training Kagome had been doing with them, leaving the visitors awestruck. This doesn't stop a young cat demon from questioning her though.

"What could a miko possibly have to teach us?" he asked arrogantly, ignore the growls of warning around him. Daiki is just about to set to her defense when the cat demon is swiftly knocked to the ground. All the troops watched with wide eyes at Ginta.

"Kagome is the strongest person we know," Hokaku said quietly, patting his brother on the back. The rest of the troops smile proudly. Kagome is touched by their loyalty. She steps forward and pins the young cat demon with a cold stare.

"I've been battling Naraku for five years and I've been training the army of the west for several months. I can assure you that I know what it takes to defeat him."

No one argued with her after that. The training was somewhat slow going. Each house had its own particular battle style, which made teaching difficult. Kagome was patient though and worked with them day in and day out in order to get them ready.

Life passes like this for two months, Six days of training a week with one rest day. Kagome felt equal parts strengthened and exhausted. She could feel herself becoming stronger, but the constant training left her sore and irritable. If you didn't find her training, she was either eating or sleeping. Sometimes she could be found meeting with the demon lords, discussing strategy and possible attack plans. She relays what Inuyasha had told her about the size and shape of the castle. She thought of only the final battle at all hours of the day. It was mentally taxing, but she knew the importance of this time. She knew that sacrifice now could save them later.

It's a hot afternoon when Kagome can tell that something is really wrong. There's a sharp pain throbbing in her side that made it hard to stand. She pushed through it though, sure that it was just a slightly pulled muscle. She ducked under the knife of her opponent, curling in on herself with her knees to her chest. Concentrating her energy on her feet, she sprang up with a fist swinging.

She doesn't make it all the way upright. The searing pain in her side spreads throughout her entire abdomen, paralyzing her. Falling to the ground, she cries out again on contact and clutches her stomach tightly.

"Kagome," several of the soldiers shout, running to kneel down by her side. A few demand to know what happened, the young cat she'd been sparring with stutters that she just fell. Kagome tries to gasp out that it isn't his fault, but her words are too quiet to hear. Daiki is kneeling beside her now. Gingerly, he reaches out to pick the priestess up, careful not to jostle her too much. She's shaking against him.

"Go get Sesshoumaru, I'll take her to the healer's wing." He gets several stiff solutes and nods in response. With quick, even steps, he rushes his friend toward the infirmary. She's pale as a cheek and has broken out into a cold sweat. Worry doubled, he quicken his steps.

Haru jumps when Daiki comes bounding into her ward. She's about to chastise him when he sees the bundle in his arms. Without question, she clears off a table for the demon to set Kagome on. She's breathing easier now, but her arms are still wrapped tightly around her stomach.

With gentle reassurances, Haru pulls Kagome's arms away and rests a hand on her stomach. She moves and adjusts a few times, brow knit together, before she realizes what she's feeling. With a gasp, she pulls away and stares wide eyed at Kagome's belly. Kagome, concerned by the look, reaches out to grip Haru's hand.

"What's wrong?" When Haru only gapes at her, Kagome rests her own palm against her abdomen. She allows her reiki to spread through her center, trying to detect an injury. It's a soft, steady thrumming that she finds. She's only confused for a moment before understanding crashes down on her.

In his study, Sesshoumaru is irritated by the loud knocking against his door. He's about to summon them in and warn them that it better be important, when the door is pushed open to reveal a young soldier. The young dog demon was shaking like a leaf.

"It's Kagome, milord. She collapsed duri-," the demon doesn't have a chance to finish before Sesshoumaru is breezing past him and already turning the corner at the end of the hall.

The demon lord rushes toward the healer's wing, not caring about the curious stares he gets along the way. He can sense Kagome's aura, turbulent and wild. A ball of dread weighs down his stomach and he moves more quickly. In a matter of a minute he's standing in the doorway of the infirmary, watching Haru rub a damp cloth along his companion's forehead. He growls at her pale complexion and wide eyes.

"What happened? Was she injured?" he demands, turning toward Haru. The phoenix demon looked uncomfortable, eyes darting away from his.

"Do you want to tell him?" she whispers to Kagome. When the priestess doesn't respond, Haru clears her throat awkwardly. She is torn on how to say this. Deciding to be straightforward, she looks at him evenly.

"She's with child, Sesshoumaru."

The silence in the room was deafening. Large tears start to stream down Kagome's face. She doesn't move to wipe them away. Sesshoumaru's gaze moves from her face down to her stomach. In her baggy training clothing, he can't see any swelling there. Moving forward purposely, he rests his hand over her belly and concentrates hard. There! He can feel the tiny, soft thrum of a heartbeat within her. For the first time in a long time, he's speechless. Pride swells through his chest. A pride stronger than any he had ever felt.

"Why didn't we know?"

Haru shrugs. "I can only guess, but I'm thinking her miko powers are strong enough to partially mask the child's presence. Now that it's growing, its own aura is becoming more noticeable."

Sesshoumaru agrees with this theory. With no known history of a miko mating with a demon, anything was possible. He moves his hand away to wipe away the tears from Kagome's face. She has yet to say anything. Sesshoumaru looks to Haru, eyebrow raised. The phoenix smiles sympathetically.

"I think she might be in shock. She hasn't said anything since she realized herself."

Sesshoumaru nods. With a gentle hand, he squeezes her wrist to gain her attention. He's slightly relieved when she turns to look at him. Her eyes are still wide and her face pale, but there's more awareness in her gaze.

"I recommend having her lay down for a little while. She's been training too hard and needs to rest."

Sesshoumaru nods shortly. "Thank you, Haru." Sesshoumaru helps his companion off of the table and leads her out of the room. The little phoenix waves to their retreating forms.

Kagome's brain slowly starts to work again as they walk, Sesshouaru guiding her with a hand on her back. Pregnant. She was pregnant. Unconsciously, she touches her hands to her stomach. She can definitely feel them there, small and strong. The feeling fills the priestess with equal parts joy and dread. This was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of her life, and it was coming at the worst time. They were in the final stages of their battle with Naraku. She wonders bleakly what Sesshoumaru must be thinking of. He had to feel the same way as her.

It occurs to Kagome that she hadn't gotten her period in two months. So much had been going on that it had completely slipped her mind. She curses herself for the oversight. She tried to ignore the guilt in her stomach at the idea of regretting their child's existence.

Her mind is still racing when they reach their room. Sesshoumaru opens their bedroom door for her. She stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, hands wringing together tightly and gaze far away. Sesshoumaru approaches her slowly, resting a hand against her cheek to get her attention.

"What are you thinking?" Normally she can be read like a book, her emotions flashing over her face like lightning. Now, her face is merely scrunched up and her eyes distant.

"I don't know what we're going to do," she admits softly. She has no idea how they proceed from here. It's an entirely unseen event that Kagome has no plan for this happening. She keeps seeing images of herself, noticeably pregnant, trying to fight Naraku. It sends a shiver down her spine and she swallows against the bile in the back of her throat.

Sesshoumaru hums quietly.

"This is not the ideal time for this to happen," he pauses when Kagome gives a loud snort, "However, with circumstances what they are, we will raise the child," he says, Kagome can hear the ' _obviously'_ in his tone. It makes her smile briefly before she looks tormented again.

"We're about to go to battle, Sesshoumaru. What are we going to do?"

Sesshoumaru raises a brow at her. "You will stay here, of course." His tone is just this side of condescending. Kagome frowns. If he really thought that she was just going to hide in the castle while they risked their lives, he had another thing coming.

"I can't do that, Sesshoumaru. This is my battle." Her voice leaves no room for arguments.

Sesshoumaru is now frowning as well. There's a stern look about him that make Kagome want to gulp.

"You will stay here, Kagome. I will not let you endanger our child." His voice is dismissive.

Kagome faces turns pink with rage and she points a shaking finger at him. "This is my fight," she repeats. "I have a destiny to fulfil and people to protect and I will be going with you."

The demon lord's youki spiked at her tone, pushing over her forcefully. Kagome grits her teeth and pushes her reiki back at him. The powers spark and sizzle in the air around them.

"I will not have you threaten me, Sesshoumaru." The miko's voice is dark. Sesshoumaru bristles at the tone, growling loudly at her.

"I will not let you put yourself in danger." He speaks between gritted teeth.

Kagome is struck by the serious, almost pleading tone. Her reiki slowly falls away. She's staring at him sadly, her eyes filled with pain.

"I don't want to fight with you," she whispers. "But I need you to understand this from my point of view."

Sesshoumaru settles at her soft voice, understanding slowly hitting him. She was right, this was her destiny. If he ordered her to remain, she would only find a way out on her own, endangering herself more. At least if he allowed her to accompany them, he could help protect her.

"You may come to the camp, but you will stay there during the battle." He speaks more amicably this time.

Kagome agrees with this quickly, appreciating his understanding. Even she wasn't so stupid as to charge into battle with a child. At least from the camp she would be able to monitor how they're doing. She knew that if she had to, she'd go to protect them if they were in danger, but she had confidence that it wouldn't come to such desperate measures.

They lapsed into silence as the fight ended, each much less troubled. Kagome smiles easily and steps forward to hug the demon lord. He returns the embrace, holding her with his one arm tightly.

Despite the moment of peace, worry and doubt were loud in Kagome's mind. All the anxieties she'd felt about them being together came crashing back to her. Their child would be a half demon. She'd watched the way Inuyasha was treated, she remembered the comments and insults. He had always brushed them off, but Kagome suspected that they affected him much more than he let on. There were times when he'd refuse to enter a village with them, opting to stay in the forests nearby. Kagome knew it was to avoid trouble. Now that she was thinking of their child going through the same thing, tears filled her eyes and dampened Sesshoumaru's top.

"Will they be okay?" Her voice cracks on the last word. Sesshoumaru takes a deep breathe against the top of her head, her scent soothing him. He would be lying if he wasn't also concerned. Hanyous were treated poorly in the courts, often treated as illegitimate children that were chased from castles. He knew that their child would endure some degree of this treatment, but he thought of how the castle had received Kagome. His people respected and adored his companion and he had no doubt they would treat their child just as well.

"They will be strong and proud. The west will accept them. "

Kagome nods with a loud sniffle. Another worry nagged at her.

"Are you okay with this?" She isn't sure what she'll do if he says no and waits for his answer with baited breath. There were so many aspects of this that Sesshoumaru might have a problem with and the anticipation made Kagome dizzy. Sesshoumaru's responding chuckle reverberates against her cheek.

"This is something to celebrate, Kagome," he says simply. His short answer is enough for Kagome to give a breathless laugh. She wipes the remaining tears from her cheeks. For the first time excitement is starting to fill Kagome. No, these weren't the ideal circumstances, but amazing things rarely happen when it's convenient. The joy made Kagome breathless and she couldn't help another soft laugh

"I can't believe this is happening." As opposed to the desolate tone earlier, her voice is filled with wonder. Sesshoumaru reaches out to rest a hand on her stomach, relishing the feeling of their child's heartbeat. It's obviously and plainly _there_ now that Sesshoumaru can't believe he didn't notice it before. With each strong beat of its heart, Sesshoumaru's pride swelled.

"I wonder if it'll be a boy or a girl." Kagome whispers, resting her hand over Sesshoumaru's.

"Female taiyoukais are very rare. Though, I suppose anything is possible at this point." Kagome laughs and kisses his cheek.

"Do you care which it is?" she asks earnestly. Sesshoumaru thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

"Instinctually, I want would want a son. I have no doubt a daughter would be just as powerful though. No matter what they are though, they'll be the heir to the west."

The weight of that settles on Kagome and she rubs her stomach soothingly. She'd never in her wildest dreams thought about the fact that their child would be royalty. An integral piece of history. A part of the history she had been reading for months. It makes the miko proud of them. She opens her mouth to make a comment, but she yawns before she can. The events of the day presses against her and she realizes she's exhausted.

"Come, Kagome. Haru says you should be resting."

It feels off to be changing into sleeping clothes in the afternoon. She'd been training so much that there were nights when she forwent pajamas all together and slept naked. She tended to be too tired to even find pajamas. A part of her wanted to argue and say that she had to overlook the troops. She held back the comment though, allowing Sesshoumaru's gentle help getting into bed. She was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow, arms unconsciously wrapped around her belly. The demon lord looked on her fondly. With a soft touch to her stomach, he leaves their rooms. While she needed to relax, he had work to get done. The final stages were coming together and it made Sesshoumaru impatient. With the new development, he itched to end this battle.

' _Soon, Naraku.'_


End file.
